LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Big Conversation

Oliver Heald: To ask the Leader of the House what visits (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Office (i) have made and (ii) plan to make using public funds in connection with the Big Conversation; how many civil servants accompanied each Minister in respect of such visits; what the cost to public funds was of visits by (A) each Minister and (B) civil servants in connection with the Big Conversation; and if he will make a statement.

Peter Hain: The Labour Party is consulting its members and the wider community on the Government's progress and challenges ahead. The Big Conversation is a party document and has been issued by the Labour Party.
	Ministers and special advisers have of course participated in this process according to the rules laid out in the Ministerial Code and the Special Advisers Code. No events have been held using public funds, and no civil servants have attended them.

Fair Trade Products

John Bercow: To ask the Leader of the House whether it is the policy of his office to use fair trade products, as a matter of course, in (a) sales on Departmental premises and (b) receptions and meetings involving staff and visitors.

Peter Hain: My office does not have a refreshment facility in which it could stock and sell fair trade products.
	While there is currently no Government-wide approach to the procurement of fair trade products, we will endeavour to use them for official entertaining, subject to this being value for money.

DEFENCE

Boards of Inquiry

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the result was of the investigation held into the death of Private David Shipley by the Royal Military Police Special Investigation Branch; on what date a board of inquiry was convened; and what its principal recommendations were.

Adam Ingram: The Board of Inquiry convened on 15 September 2003 and is on-going. Her Majesty's Coroner has yet to convene his inquiry. It would therefore be inappropriate to release details of the police findings at this stage.

Defence Estates

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what expenditure is planned on defence estates upgrades in each year up to 2008; and if he will make a statement.

Ivor Caplin: holding answer 8 December 2003
	Our current planned provision or the funding of the UK estate is:
	2003–04—£760 million
	2004–05—£930 million.
	No planned provision figures are available after that date.

Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft Progamme

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the tanker programme.

Adam Ingram: We are currently considering proposals from two consortia that are bidding for the Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft programme. We plan to make a decision on this complex and important PFI competition as soon as possible in the new year.

Northern Ireland

Harry Barnes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the protocol is for debriefing soldiers who have served an operational tour in Northern Ireland.

Adam Ingram: There are no formal protocols for debriefing soldiers after they have served an operational tour in Northern Ireland. However, as with any operational deployment, on their return, units are required to produce a Post Operational Tour Report.

Northern Ireland

Harry Barnes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the incidents in the Troubles since 1973 involving members of the British Army which resulted in deaths and injuries to members of the armed forces; and which regiment was affected in each case.

Adam Ingram: Since 1973 a total number of 474 members of the Army died as a result of terrorist activity in Northern Ireland. The number of Army personnel injured from 1973 is 4,645. This figure relates primarily to injuries which were incurred while on duty, however, the manner in which data has been historically complied means some injuries off duty may have been included.
	It is not feasible to list each death, injury and which Regiment was involved since 1973 as the data is not held on one particular format and that information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

St John's Wood Barracks

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment has been carried out of the real estate value of the St. John's Wood Barracks.

Ivor Caplin: The last assessment by agents in 2002 concluded a value of £6.65 million.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Higher Education

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much has been spent per student in higher education in each of the last 30 years.

Alan Johnson: Information on the funding per student at higher education institutions in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales is a matter for the devolved administration. The table as follows shows the public funding per student at higher education institutions in England since 1989–90.
	
		Publicly planned funding per student via HEFCE/TTA in real terms, 2002–03 prices
		
			  £ (rounded to nearest £10) 
		
		
			 1989–90 8,150 
			 1990–91 7,420 
			 1991–92 7,050 
			 1992–93 6,530 
			 1993–94 6,170 
			 1994–95 6,000 
			 1995–96 5,740 
			 1996–97 5,360 
			 1997–98 5,200 
			 1998–99 5,200 
			 1999–2000 5,190 
			 2000–01 5,130 
			 2001–02 5,170 
			 2202–03 5,170 
			 2003–04 5,310 
			 2004–05 5,340 
			 2005–06 5,500 
		
	
	Information for earlier years was published "Higher Education in the learning society", the report of the National Committee of Inquiry into Higher Education chaired by Lord Dearing. The information required is in chart 3.16 of that report. A link to that report is available at www.leeds.ac.uk/educol/ncihe.

Household Earnings (Hampshire)

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills for the most recent year available, what were the (a) male, (b) female and (c) two earner household average earnings for people resident in (i) each borough within Hampshire, (ii) Portsmouth Unitary Authority and (iii) Southampton Unitary Authority.

Ruth Kelly: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Mark Hoban, dated 9 December 2003
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question on the average earnings of (a) males, (b) females and (c) two earner households for people resident in (i) each borough within Hampshire, (ii) Portsmouth Unitary Authority and (iii) Southampton Unitary Authority in 2003. (143120).
	I attach a table showing the average gross weekly pay including overtime for (a) males and (b) females for people resident in (i) each borough within Hampshire, (ii) Portsmouth Unitary Authority and (iii) Southampton Unitary Authority in 2003. The information on average earnings for two earner households is unavailable.
	The New Earnings Survey (NES) publication criteria states that all estimates with a sample number less than 30 or a relative standard error greater than 5% must be suppressed. A large number of estimates have been removed from the lists due to the suppression criteria. The information is based on the 2003 NES, the latest survey for which data are available.
	New Earnings Survey, April 2003
	Full time employees on adult rates whose pay for the survey pay period was unaffected by absence.
	Analysis by males and females living in Portsmouth UA, Southampton UA and each of the boroughs within Hampshire.
	This table provides the number of data used for each area, an estimate of the average gross weekly wage and the relative standard error of the estimate (the standard error expressed as a percentage of the average gross weekly wage).
	
		2003
		
			  Males Females 
			  Mean (£) Number in sample Standarderror (%) Mean (£) Number in sample Standarderror (%) 
		
		
			 Unitary Authority  
			 Portsmouth 450.3 207 3.6 384.7 108 4.5 
			 Southampton 457.4 234 3.0 — 110 5.1 
			
			 Borough   
			 Basingstoke and Deane — 199 5.2 — 126 5.6 
			 East Hampshire — 122 6.4 — 73 6.8 
			 Eastleigh 569.7 156 4.9 — 95 5.6 
			 Fareham 563.3 123 4.0 375.8 78 4.5 
			 Gosport 406.2 79 4.2 — 67 5.5 
			 Hart — 104 5.9 — 58 7.2 
			 Havant — 142 6.1 345.4 82 3.9 
			 New Forest — 178 5.2 364.7 121 4.7 
			 Rushmoor 530.6 113 4.7 — 70 7.3 
			 Test Valley — 126 5.4 — 82 5.5 
			 Winchester — 110 7.5 — 58 6.3

Minister for Children

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, whether the Minister for Children sought advice from departmental officials subsequent to writing her letter to the Chairman of the BBC about child abuse in Islington; and if he will make a statement.

Charles Clarke: At the point when the letter to the BBC came into the public domain, the Minister of State for Children, Young People and Families consulted Departmental Officials to ensure that she followed the procedures laid down in the Ministerial Code.

Private Finance Initiative

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many of his Department's private finance initiative projects were completed (a) on time and (b) on budget; and of those that overran in terms of (i) time and (ii) budget, who bore the cost.

David Miliband: Each schools PFI project involves a separate contract between the relevant local authority and a private sector contractor, and, for a variety of reasons, timetables of work may change from that which was envisaged when the contract was signed. It is not possible therefore, for DfES to hold a record of the circumstances of each completion. However, where there have been difficulties, these have generally been brought to our attention by the LEA concerned. These cases have been a small proportion of the total number of completions.
	The responsibility for any overrun in terms of time and budget in any PFI project rests with the PFI contractor. Overruns in traditionally funded building projects are fairly commonplace but happen less frequently in PFI projects as the financial consequences of any overrun rest with the private sector.

Private Finance Initiative

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many school private finance initiative schemes are being examined by the Project Review Group.

David Miliband: The Project Review Group (PRG) meets approximately every six weeks. At its meeting on 18 November it considered and approved two schools PFI projects. Currently there are four schools PFI projects to be considered at the next meeting on 16 December.

Top-up Fees

David Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much money has been spent in the last six months on advertisements to promote and explain top-up fees; how many advertisements have been broadcast; and what the total planned spending is on this campaign.

Alan Johnson: holding answer 8 December 2003
	The Department has not run any advertising in the last six months to promote and explain top-up fees. However, it has run advertising to inform those considering applying for a higher education course about the student support package available to them and how to apply. This is an annual campaign and was launched last month with radio, magazine and poster advertising costing £240,000.
	There is information on the proposed changes to student finance in the campaign leaflet and website which are publicised in the advertising.
	A second wave of this advertising for young people is planned for the New Year at the same weight and cost.
	In parallel, we are also running advertorials in women's magazines for parents of those considering applying for a higher education course. The cost of this is £174,000, giving a total campaign cost of £654,000.
	All costs exclude VAT.

Top-up Fees

Adrian Flook: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what rules govern the impact on the estate of an individual should he or she die owing student loans acquired to pay tuition fees; and whether he proposes that the forthcoming legislation should change the rules.

Alan Johnson: holding answer 8 December 2003
	Loan repayments are cancelled if a borrower dies before the loan is paid off. We have no intention of changing that policy in respect of loans for variable tuition fees from 2006.

Tuition Fees

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much he estimates will be raised by student tuition fees in the current financial year.

Alan Johnson: It is estimated that institutions in England will receive £847 million in tuition fees for home and EU students in 2003–04. Updated projections will be issued shortly.

Tuition Fees

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many students have been paying tuition fees in each year since they were introduced; and what proportion of the total student population this represents.

Alan Johnson: holding answer 8 December 2003
	New student support arrangements came into effect at the start of academic year 1998/99 when new entrants to higher education were expected to contribute towards the cost of their tuition. The amount of the contribution depends on family income.
	The number and proportion of students eligible for support in England and Wales in academic years 1998/99 to 2001/02 (latest year for which data are available) who have been assessed to make a partial or full contribution towards the cost of their tuition is shown in the table.
	
		Student Support Scheme—student numbers and proportions
		
			 Academic year  1998/99  1999/2000  2000/01  2001/02 
			  Number (Thousand) % of eligible students Number (Thousand) % of eligible students Number (Thousand) % of eligible students Number (Thousand) % of eligible students 
		
		
			  
			  
			 Full or partial contribution towards the cost of tuition from student/parents/spouse/partner(3) 133 55 263 55 397 58 415 57 
		
	
	(1) Contributions towards the cost of tuition are assessed by local education authorities in England and Wales for students normally domiciled in their area and studying in the UK.
	(2) Data for academic year 1998/99 comprise the cohort of students who entered higher education in that year; data for 1999/2000 comprise the 1998/99 and 1999/2000 cohorts; data for 2000/01 comprise those who entered in 1998/99, 1999/2000 and 2000/01; and data for 2001/02 comprise those students still in study from 1998/99 onwards and new entrants from 2001/02.
	(3) Includes students who withdrew from their course before the fee due date (and therefore no fee payment was made by the local education authority). In 1998/99, includes estimation for students who, because they did not expect to receive a contribution towards the cost of their tuition from public funds, did not make an application to their local authority.
	Source:
	F503G survey of local education authorities.
	National level data are published annually in the Department's Statistical First Releases (SFRs) (SFR 11/2003 for 2001/02).

Universities UK

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills on how many occasions he and his ministerial colleagues have met Universities UK during the last 12 months.

Alan Johnson: My right hon. Friend and other Ministers regularly meet representatives of Universities UK in the course of normal business.

West Herts College

Tony McWalter: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps he is taking to ensure that there is provision for life-long learning in the Hemel Hempstead area following the closure of courses at the Dacorum campus of West Hertfordshire College.

Alan Johnson: The Learning and Skills Council has responsibility for planning and funding lifelong learning delivered through further education colleges. The local LSC for Hertfordshire commissioned a Strategic Options Review of West Hertfordshire College, which reported in September 2003. The local LSC will shortly be publishing an action plan for public consultation which will take into account the finding of the review. The local LSC and the college are also working closely with partners to ensure that the needs of all learners in Hemel Hempstead are met.

CABINET OFFICE

Big Conversation

Oliver Heald: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what visits (a) he and (b) the Minister without Portfolio (i) have made and (ii) plan to make using public funds in connection with the Big Conversation; how many civil servants accompanied (1) him and (2) the Minister without Portfolio in respect of such visits; what the cost to public funds was of visits by (A) him, (B) the Minister without Portfolio and (C) civil servants in connection with the Big Conversation; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: I refer the hon. Member to the reply that my hon. Friend the Leader of the House gave today.

Regulatory Reform

Brian Cotter: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when his Department will publish the updated Regulatory Reform Action Plan.

Douglas Alexander: The updated Regulatory Reform Action Plan will be published later this week.

Timber

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, by what means the policy for purchasing timber and timber products of (a) the Cabinet Office and (b) the Government Car and Despatch Agency ensures that they are obtained from legal and sustainable sources.

Douglas Alexander: The Cabinet Office and the GCDA's policy for purchasing timber and timber products takes account of current UK Government Timber Procurement Policy. Furthermore, the Model Contract Specification Clause is used in all new and existing contracts to ensure that purchases are obtained from Legal and sustainable sources.

CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Law Commission

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs if he will list legislative proposals contained in reports published by the Law Commission since 1990 which have not subsequently been introduced.

Christopher Leslie: The following table sets out reports published by the Law Commission since 1990 which contain legislative proposals that have not been enacted.
	
		
			 Reportnumber/year Title Legislative proposals 
		
		
			 1991   
			 194 Distress for Rent Law of Property (Distress) Bill 
			
			 1992   
			 208 Business Tenancies: Landlord and Tenant Act 1954, Part II Landlord and Tenant (Business Tenancies) Bill 
			 1993   
			 218 Offences against the Person and General Principles Criminal Law Bill 
			
			 1994   
			 222 Binding Over Binding Over Bill 
			 226 Judicial Review and Statutory Appeals Administration of Justice Bill 
			 227 Restitution: Mistakes of Law and Ultra Vires Public Authority Receipts and Payments Restitution (Mistakes of Law) Bill 
			
			 1995   
			 229 Intoxication and Criminal Liability Criminal Law (Intoxication) Bill 
			 231 Mental Incapacity Mental Incapacity Bill 
			
			 1996   
			 237 Involuntary Manslaughter Involuntary Homicide Bill 
			 238 Landlord and Tenant: Responsibility for State and Condition of Property Landlord and Tenant Bill 
			
			 1997   
			 246 Shareholder Remedies Companies (Members' Proceedings) Bill 
			 247 Aggravated, Exemplary and Restitutionary Damages Damages Bill 
			
			 1998   
			 248 Corruption Offences Corruption Bill 
			 249 Liability for Psychiatric Illness Negligence (Psychiatric Illness) Bill 
			 251 The Rules Against Perpetuities and Excessive Accumulations Perpetuities and Accumulations Bill 
			 253 The Execution of Deeds and Documents by or on behalf of Bodies Corporate Instruments (Formalities) Bill 
			
			 1999   
			 257 Damages for Personal Injury: Non-Pecuniary Loss Damages (Role of Jury) Bill 
			 262 Damages for Personal Injury: Medical, Nursing and other Expenses; Collateral Benefits Damages for Personal Injury (Gratuitous Services) Bill 
			 263 Claims for Wrongful Death Fatal Accidents Bill 
			
			 2001   
			 270 Limitation of Actions Limitation Bill 
			 272 Third Parties—Rights against Insurers Third Parties (Rights Against Insurers) Bill 
			
			 2002   
			 276 Fraud Fraud Bill 
			
			 2003   
			 283 Partnership Law Partnerships Bill

Legal Finance

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, how much was spent on experts' fees (a) from the Community Legal Service budget and (b) from the Criminal Defence Service budget in 2002–03.

Christopher Leslie: Information on experts fees paid as part of the Community Legal Service is not held centrally by the Legal Services Commission and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	For criminal cases the majority of payments are made out of central funds and came to £5.1 million. This figure includes interpreters' costs. Payments may also be paid out of the Criminal Defence Service through a payment made by the defending lawyer to an expert. Details of these payments are not held centrally and can be obtained only at disproportionate costs.

Magistrates Courts

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, if he will list the five (a) county and (b) magistrates courts in England which granted the greatest number of non-molestation orders in the last year for which figures are available.

Christopher Leslie: The five county courts that granted the most non-molestation orders during 2002 are listed in the table together with the Principal Registry of the Family Division which covers much of the London area. Data relating to the magistrates courts is not complete and a comparative list is unavailable.
	
		
			 County court Orders made 
		
		
			 Principal Registry of the Family Division (which covers much of the London area) 1,540 
			 Croydon 784 
			 Edmonton 552 
			 Teesside 509 
			 Brentford 464 
			 Leeds 435

Matrimonial Disputes (Wales)

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what budget has been provided in Wales by the Legal Services Commission in respect of (a) legal advice and (b) legal representation in relation to matrimonial disputes in (i) 2002–03 and (ii) 2003–04.

Christopher Leslie: Regional budgets are not set for legal advice and representation in relation to matrimonial disputes.

HEALTH

Primary Care Trusts

Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what freedom primary care trusts have had to make their own decisions about what contracts best meet the needs of their local population.

John Hutton: Primary Care Trusts work closely with their Strategic Health Authorities when planning any contracts for local services. PCTs have the freedom as well as the responsibility to deliver the right level of care to meet patients' needs locally, as well as national NHS requirements.

Binge Drinking

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he proposes to take to tackle the health problems associated with alcohol and binge-drinking.

Melanie Johnson: The Government's Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy for England will be published and implemented from 2004, in line with the commitments given in the NHS Plan. The strategy will be a cross-cutting effort on the part of Government and other key stakeholders to tackling the harms associated with alcohol misuse, including binge drinking.

Dental Services (East Devon)

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with East Devon Primary Care Trust about the provision of dental treatment in East Devon.

Rosie Winterton: We recognise that access to National Health Service dentistry can be difficult in some areas and that there may be growing pressure in East Devon. I have announced additional resources totalling £59 million over this year and next to support dental access. The NHS locally will be able to apply for funding from these new resources to increase access locally.

Welfare Food Scheme

Paddy Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the Welfare Food Scheme.

Melanie Johnson: The current Welfare Food Scheme has served many families well since 1940, but no longer meets their nutritional needs. We have therefore taken powers in the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards Act) 2003 enabling reform. We will shortly publish a response to our autumn 2002 consultation on reform, and will consult on draft regulations in 2004.

Passive Smoking

Kevin Barron: To ask the Secretary of State if he will make a statement on his Department's latest research on the health effects of passive smoking.

Melanie Johnson: The Scientific Committee on Tobacco and Health is currently updating the available data on secondhand smoke and its report is awaited.

General Practitioners

David Heath: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the provision of information technology for general practitioners under the new GP contract.

John Hutton: Primary Care Trusts, rather than individual general practitioner practices, will be responsible for funding the purchase and maintenance of information technology systems. This will form part of Integrated Care Record Services that will be implemented by the National Programme for IT. This has been supported with £20 million additional funding.

General Practitioners

David Rendel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many new whole time equivalent general practitioners have taken up post since 1999.

John Hutton: The estimated number of additional whole time equivalent general practitioners, who have taken up post between September 1999 and June 2003 is 5,750.

Non-departmental Public Bodies

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for health if he will make a statement on plans to review the number of health service non-departmental public bodies.

Rosie Winterton: The Secretary of State for Health announced his intention to review the Department's non-departmental public bodies along with its other arm's length organisations to the Health Committee on 30 October. We want to ensure that roles of the Department's arm's length bodies are in line with current expectations and that the oversight of front-line health and social services is kept to an acceptable minimum. We expect that the review will reach its conclusions by the middle of next year.

Alcohol Treatment Programmes

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects the Government's strategy document on alcohol treatment to be published; what the reason for the delay is; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: I have been asked to reply.
	On 19 September the Prime Minister's Strategy Unit published their Interim Analytical Report on the harms associated with alcohol misuse. This will help inform the development of the cross-governmental alcohol harm reduction strategy for England. The final report setting out the strategy will be published in time for implementation to begin in 2004, and in line with commitments given in the NHS Plan.

Alzheimer's

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment has been made by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence of Ebixa as a treatment for Alzheimer's; which health authorities have allowed it to be prescribed; and if he will make a statement on the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery and the use of Ebixa.

Stephen Ladyman: The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) is appraising memantine (Ebixa) as part of the eighth wave of its work programme. The anticipated publication date of its guidance is May 2005.
	The Department has asked national health service bodies (in HSC 1999/176) to continue with local arrangements for the managed introduction of new technologies, including drugs such as memantine, where guidance from NICE is not published at the time the technology first became available. These arrangements should involve an assessment of all the available evidence. Information about which NHS bodies are currently allowing memantine to be prescribed is not collected centrally, but data collected about prescribing shows that memantine has been prescribed on the NHS in all strategic health authority areas.
	The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery medical committee has considered the use of memantine and has agreed to prescribe it under certain protocols and shared care agreements.

Chiropody/Podiatry

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent representations he has received on chiropody and podiatry.

Stephen Ladyman: In the last three months we have received an estimated 22 representations on chiropody and podiatry from right hon. and hon. Members, representations from the other place and relevant organisations and others.

Contaminated Blood Products

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people died in each of the last five years as a result of contamination by blood products (a) from HIV/AIDS, (b) from hepatitis C and (c) co-infected with HIV/AIDS and hepatitis C; and how many who were found to be suffering from each such contamination in each of those years remain alive.

Melanie Johnson: The number of haemophilia patients infected with HIV/AIDS from infected national health service blood products registered with the Macfarlane Trust who have died in the last five years are shown in the table.
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 1998 22 
			 1999 19 
			 2000 24 
			 2001 13 
			 2002 12 
		
	
	The total number of registrants who remain alive is 397.
	Information on the total number of patients who have died in each of the last five years from hepatitis C as a result of infection through NHS blood products and the number who remain alive in each of those years is not collected.
	The figure on the total number of patients co-infected with HIV/AIDS and hepatitis C who have died in each of the last five years is not collected. The latest information from the United Kingdom Haemophilia Centre Doctors Organisations shows the total number of co-infected patients alive at 1 January 2000 is 469.

Contaminated Blood Products

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will make a statement on deaths of people with haemophilia from hepatitis as a result of receiving contaminated transmissions of blood within the NHS;
	(2)  if he will make a statement on the levels of compensation payments offered to people who have contracted hepatitis as a result of receiving contaminated blood;
	(3)  what plans he has to compensate the relatives of patients who have died through having received contaminated blood on the NHS.

Melanie Johnson: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South (Mr. Hancock) on 19 November 2003, Official Report, column 1106W.

Contaminated Blood Products

Paul Truswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in (a) Leeds and (b) the UK have contracted (i) HIV and (ii) hepatitis C as a result of being given contaminated blood products; and how many (A) have died, (B) cleared the virus and (C) remain infected in each case.

Melanie Johnson: Figures for the Leeds area are not available.
	The number of people directly infected with HIV/AIDS as a result of National Health Service treatment with blood or blood products and who have been or are currently registered with the Macfarlane and Eileen Trusts in the United Kingdom is 1284.
	The total number of Macfarlane and Eileen Trust registrants who have died is 876.
	The number of people who have been infected with HIV as a result of NHS treatment with blood or blood products and cleared the virus is not known but is presumed to be zero.
	The number of Macfarlane and Eileen Trust registrants who were directly infected with HIV as a result of NHS treatment with blood or blood products and who remain infected is 408.
	Following the announcement of a financial assistance scheme for those inadvertently infected with hepatitis C, figures for the number of people infected, the number of people who have died and the number of people who remain infected are still being finalised.

Genetics White Paper

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will announce the successful bids for research funding arising out of the White Paper on Genetics.

Melanie Johnson: Commissioning Groups considering submitted proposals for research on gene therapy for single gene disorders, including cystic fibrosis, and on pharmacogenetics are to meet early next year to identify successful applicants. Details of the successful bids will be published in the National Research Register located on the Department's web site at www.doh.gov.uk/research/nrr.htm.

HIV/AIDS

Teddy Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the incidence of HIV/AIDS in the UK; and what change there has been in the incidence in the last 10 years.

Melanie Johnson: The numbers of new diagnoses of HIV infection reported in the UK for the last 10 years are shown in the table. These are a mixture of new (incident) cases and new diagnoses of longer-standing infections.
	
		
			 Year of diagnosis Number of HIV infected individuals(4) 
		
		
			 1993 2,621 
			 1994 2,574 
			 1995 2,653 
			 1996 2,692 
			 1997 2,737 
			 1998 2,818 
			 1999 3,072 
			 2000 3,825 
			 2001 4,982 
			 2002 5,711 
		
	
	(4) Numbers, particularly for recent years, will rise as further reports are received.
	Source:
	Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre, Health Protection Agency, data to the end of September 2003.

Hormone Replacement Therapy

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what advice the Government are providing for women on hormone replacement therapy regarding the risk of breast cancer; and if he will make a statement.

Melanie Johnson: The Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM) and its expert working group on hormone replacement therapy (HRT) have kept the safety of HRT under constant review and provided targeted advice to women and health professionals in response to important new evidence as it has emerged.
	In August 2003, the United Kingdom "Million Women" study provided important new information about the risks of breast cancer in long term HRT users. On the day of publication, the CSM informed women of the increase in risk that was observed in association with each different type of HRT preparation. The CSM further advised that these risks increase the longer that HRT is used, but return to normal within five years of stopping HRT. All women using HRT have been encouraged to attend regular breast screening and regularly check their breasts for any changes. Women have also been advised not to use HRT if they have breast cancer or if they have had it in the past.
	In addition, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has placed a comprehensive review of the risks, including breast cancer, associated with HRT use for women on its website. Detailed information has also been published in the safety bulletins issued by the MHRA and the Chief Medical Officer, which are also available on their respective websites.
	The patient information leaflet that accompanies each pack of medicine has contained information about the risk of breast cancer in association with HRT use for some years. This information has been regularly updated to fully reflect all important new evidence as it has become available.
	Very recently, a Europe-wide review of the overall risks and benefits of HRT has been completed. UK experts participated in this review and the CSM has endorsed its recommendations, published on 3 December 2003, that HRT should no longer be considered as the first choice treatment for the prevention of osteoporosis, for women over the age of 50 years. As with earlier advice, this information has been made available to health professionals and women through targeted communications and the MHRA website.

NHS Live 2004

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the total budget for NHS Live 2004 is.

John Hutton: The total budget for NHS Live will depend upon the revenue generated through sponsorship and trade show exhibition.

NHS Live 2004

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the organisations which have been approached to sponsor NHS Live 2004; and what amounts are being sought for such sponsorship.

John Hutton: Sponsorship for NHS Live is being sought in accordance with Cabinet Office guidelines. No specific amount is being sought from individual sponsors. Any revenue received (or the equivalent payments in kind) will be published in the 2004 Departmental Report.

NHS Live 2004

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what involvement his special advisers have had in (a) devising and (b) organising NHS Live 2004.

John Hutton: A steering group chaired by the Chief Medical Officer oversees the planning for NHS Live. Special advisers have had no active role in devising or organising the NHS Live event.

NHS Live 2004

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether he will participate in NHS Live 2004.

John Hutton: It is anticipated that my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State will address the conference or visit the NHS Live exhibition.

NHS Live 2004

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what criteria will be used for issuing invitations to NHS Live 2004.

John Hutton: All National Health Service and social care organisations in England have been invited to participate in the NHS Live programme. Stakeholder organisations representing staff, patients and the public will also be invited to participate in developing the programme and in the event at Excel in July 2004.

NHS Live 2004

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether the media will be invited to cover NHS Live 2004.

John Hutton: The media will be invited to cover the NHS Live 2004 event.

Skin Cancer

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what action the Department is taking to tackle the rise in skin cancer cases in England.

Melanie Johnson: A new sun awareness initiative "SunSmart" was launched on 27 March by Cancer Research UK to make the public aware of the dangers of exposure to the sun. The campaign is based on the successful "SunSmart" campaign in Australia. The campaign has received funding from the United Kingdom Health Departments this year. We will be providing further funding for the campaign for next summertime.
	The campaign's aim is to increase the profile of the issue of skin cancer and methods of effective sun protection.
	The key objectives are to increase knowledge of the causes of skin cancer, to increase awareness of actions that can be taken to prevent skin cancer and to influence positively attitudes to sun protection.
	Subject to further funding, longer-term aims are to reduce sunlight exposure through changes in behaviour and environment, to increase the proportion of people reporting with early stage disease and decrease the proportion of people presenting with late tumours.
	The campaign's key messages have been disseminated by way of an alert to the campaign and mailshot pack of posters and leaflets to all general practitioner surgeries and health promotion units nationally, an alert to the campaign and mailshot to secondary schools with 3,500 leaflets and posters; and a series of press events over summer 2003, with leaflets and posters targeted in cities and seaside resorts. The effectiveness of the campaign is being evaluated and the lessons learnt will be fed into future development of the campaign.
	The Department has separately developed the "SunSafe" web pages last year, designed with children in mind and these are available on the Department's website at www.doh.gov.uk/sunsafe. Sun awareness information is also contained on the "Wired For Health" website at www.wiredforhealth.gov.uk/teaching/sun/intro.html.
	We continue to fund annually the Meteorological Office to provide the daily Ultra-Violet index in the media (TV, radio, Meteorological Office website).
	The Department also provides core funding to the National Radiological Protection Board, which provides expertise on ultra-violet radiation issues.

Solid Waste Incinerators (Health Risks)

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to update the research on (a) angiosarcoma, (b) lymphohematopoietic cancers and (c) cancer incidence near municipal solid waste incinerators.

Melanie Johnson: The Department has no plans to carry out further research on angiosarcoma. The independent expert advisory Committee of Carcinogenicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and Environment that any potential risk of cancer from residency near to municipal solid waste incinerators was exceedingly low and probably not measurable by the most modern epidemiological methods. Therefore, no further research is planned on cancer incidence near municipal solid waste incinerators.
	The Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment (COMARE) recommended in its third report an investigation of the geographical distribution of childhood cancer and leukaemia in Great Britain and how the pattern of cases around nuclear installations compares with the national pattern. This study is nearing completion and the Department has asked COMARE to advise on which, if any, nuclear installations in Great Britain have incidences of childhood cancer and leukaemia in their vicinity which are statistically outside the distribution seen nationally. COMARE hopes to report on this aspect of the study to the Department early next year. When complete, the database will also allow investigation of other environmental factors and their potential relevance to the temporal and spatial distribution of childhood cancer.

Waiting Lists/Times

Edward Leigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action he is taking, in response to the 45th Report of Session 2001–02 by the Committee of Public Accounts on Inpatient and outpatient waiting in the NHS, to reduce the regional variations in (a) waiting lists, (b) waiting times and (c) different specialisms.

John Hutton: The Department has put a number of measures aimed at reducing inpatient and outpatient waits in the National Health Service and to improve access as outlined in the NHS Plan. Local action continues to implement these measures in reducing local variations in waiting lists, waiting times and different specialties.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Big Conversation

Oliver Heald: To ask the Solicitor-General what visits (a) she and (b) Ministers in her Department (i) have made and (ii) plan to make using public funds in connection with the Big Conversation; how many civil servants accompanied each Minister in respect of such visits; what the cost to public funds was of visits by (A) each Minister and (B) civil servants in connection with the Big Conversation; and if she will make a statement.

Harriet Harman: Neither the Attorney-General nor I have made any such visits using public funds or accompanied by civil servants and none are currently planned.

Sand Yachting

Michael Jack: To ask the Solicitor-General, what the basis was for the request by the Attorney-General to the Crown Prosecution Service to provide him with an update on whether sand yachting should be allowed to continue at St.Anne's.

Harriet Harman: I refer the hon. Member to the Attorney-General's letter to him dated 3 December 2003, in which the Attorney stated the following:
	"I indicated in my last letter that I had asked the CPS to provide me with an update, including the future of sand yachting in the area. I made this comment on the basis that I could see that the CPS decision regarding a criminal prosecution would be relevant to those responsible for licensing sand yachting in the area. The issue of whether sand yachting should be allowed to continue is not a matter for the CPS to determine, as their review of these tragic events is restricted to the more limited issue of criminal culpability."

PRIME MINISTER

Art Acquisition

Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister how much his Office has spent on the acquisition of works of art in each year since 1997, broken down by amounts spent on (a) paintings and (b) sculpture; what the single most expensive piece of art purchased by his Office since 1997 was; how much it cost; and what the total revenue raised by his Office through sales of its works of art has been since 1997.

Tony Blair: My office has neither sold nor bought paintings or sculptures since 1997.

Big Conversation

Oliver Heald: To ask the Prime Minister, what visits (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department (i) have made and (ii) plan to make using public funds in connection with the Big Conversation; how many civil servants accompanied each Minister in respect of such visits; what the cost to public funds was of visits by (A) each Minister and (B) civil servants in connection with the Big Conversation; and if he will make a statement.

Tony Blair: I refer the hon. Member to the answer my right hon. Friend, the Leader of the House of Commons (Mr. Hain) gave him today.

House of Lords Reform

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Prime Minister, what continuing role he intends to propose for the Joint Committee on Reform of the House of Lords; and if he will make a statement.

Tony Blair: The Joint Committee on House of Lords Reform published a press notice on 12 November, together with correspondence between my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs (Lord Falconer of Thoroton) and my right hon. Friend, the Chairman of the Committee, (Mr. Jack Cunningham) on this issue. Copies are available in the House Library.

Ministerial Duties

David Davis: To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the (a) role, (b) duties and (c) responsibilities of (i) Mr. Jonathan Powell and (ii) the Deputy Prime Minister.

Tony Blair: The Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State deputises for me as required across the range of my responsibilities at home and abroad.
	The Deputy Prime Minister chairs Cabinet Committees on domestic affairs, environment and local government; and Sub-Committees on energy policy social exclusion and regeneration.
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has responsibility for policy on local and regional government, local government finance, planning, housing, urban policy, the Fire Service, the Neighbourhood Renewal Unit, the Social Exclusion Unit, the Regional Co-ordination Unit and the Government Offices for the Regions.
	Jonathan Powell is my Chief of Staff and is appointed on special adviser terms. He has direct responsibility for leading and co-ordinating operations across Number 10 and reports to me.

Ministerial Duties

David Davis: To ask the Prime Minister what arrangements are in place for delegation of Prime Ministerial duties and responsibilities if the Prime Minister were unable to perform his duties for a period of time.

Tony Blair: If I am absent for any reason then appropriate arrangements would be put in place as has been the practice under successive administrations.

Nuclear Weapons

Llew Smith: To ask the Prime Minister, if he will set out the circumstances under which he would authorise the use of UK nuclear weapons.

Tony Blair: As has repeatedly been made clear, the British Government would only contemplate the use or thereat of use of nuclear weapons in extreme circumstances of self-defence. We would not use our weapons, whether conventional or nuclear, contrary to international law.

Queen's Speech

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Prime Minister, if he will bring forward proposals to replace the Queen's Speech with a statement to Parliament by the Prime Minister setting out the forthcoming legislative programme.

Tony Blair: I have no plans to do so.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Composting

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the steps she is taking to promote composting.

Elliot Morley: Defra has set up the Waste Implementation Programme (WIP) to help local authorities meet their targets for reducing the landfilling of biodegradable municipal waste under the Landfill Directive. One of WIP's programmes being taken forward by the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) is to promote kerbside recycling and composting best practice in local authorities.
	This sub-programme has two components:
	1. A Recycling and Organics Technical Advisory Team (ROTATE) which will provide technical advice to local authorities needing to implement and improve kerbside recycling, with an emphasis on organics collections systems. This is supported by £14.9 million over the next three years.
	2. An Organics Materials Programme which provides material-specific support and investment to the growing composting sector. It aims to develop markets in compost, with headline targets of increasing the market share of compost in the landscaping and horticultural markets by 35 per cent. and 30 per cent. respectively, by end 2006. This is supported by £12.2 million over the next three years.
	These targets will be achieved through a range of activities including:
	development of compost standards;
	business development initiative for emerging compost companies;
	marketing and product development targeted at the landscaping and horticultural sectors.
	Defra also provides £272,000 over three years to the Composting Association to raise awareness and increase the understanding of composting and uses of compost.
	In addition, Defra's Waste Minimisation and Recycling Fund has supported composting schemes run by local authorities. In 2003–04, 21 green waste-only kerbside schemes and five composting site developments received funding.

Crop Spraying

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations she has received from (a) the Department of Health, (b) the Health Protection Agency and (c) the Countryside Agency regarding the consultation documents (i) plans for greater access to information about crop spraying and (ii) proposals for buffer zones between spraying areas and residential properties in England and Wales.

Alun Michael: The Pesticides Safety Directorate has not received representations from the Department of Health, the Health Protection Agency or the Countryside Agency regarding the informal consultation on plans for greater access to information about crop spraying or the formal consultation on proposals for buffer zones.

Crop Spraying

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to obtain Land Cover Map information from the Centre of Ecology and Hydrology in order to calculate the number of people in England and Wales living directly adjacent to fields sprayed with pesticides.

Alun Michael: I have asked the Pesticides Safety Directorate (PSD) to carry out a Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) on proposals for the introduction of no-spray buffer zones between agricultural spray operations and residential properties. That will include consideration of evidence on the number of people in England and Wales living directly adjacent to fields sprayed with pesticides.

Crop Spraying

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what plans she has for a formal public consultation on greater access to information on crop spraying;
	(2)  what plans she has to implement (a) a mandatory and (b) a voluntary pilot for proposals in the consultation paper, plans for greater access to information about crop spraying.

Alun Michael: The Pesticide Safety Directorate (PSD) issued approximately 1,500 consultation documents for the informal consultation on greater access to information on crop spraying. In addition, a series of meetings were held with interested parties.
	Some 500 written responses were submitted to the PSD, reflecting a broad range of opinions, and officials are currently processing these. Some parties, in responding to the consultation, made the suggestion of running voluntary or mandatory pilot schemes.
	Consideration whether to issue a formal consultation, or to carry out pilot schemes, will be given by ministers after the responses have been analysed.

Crop Spraying

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  how many submissions her Department has received to the consultation on Plans for greater access to information about crop spraying; and how many favoured proposals to oblige pesticide users to (a) keep a public register of what pesticides they have used and (b) notify surrounding households when they are going to spray a pesticide, identifying the pesticide;
	(2)  how many submissions her Department has received to the consultation on Plans for greater access to information about crop spraying which are in favour of disclosure of the records of pesticide use (a) directly to members of the public and (b) to parties acting on their behalf.

Alun Michael: The Pesticides Safety Directorate has received about 500 responses to the informal consultation on options for greater access to information about crop spraying. A series of questions were asked in the consultation document, with the aim of identifying practical arrangements for notification and disclosure of pesticide spray activities. Officials are now processing the responses, which contain a broad range of views, but it is possible to identify some general trends.
	The majority of respondents were broadly in favour of greater access to information on pesticide spraying activities in general terms. However many raised potential practical difficulties with respect to the implementation of the proposals, particularly in respect of the issue of prior notification.
	The majority of responses favoured the proposal to oblige pesticide users to keep a public register of what pesticides they had used. In general, members of the public were in favour of direct disclosure of spray records while farmers and industry groups were broadly in favour of disclosure via a third party such as a doctor or lawyer or via a Regulatory Authority.

Dredging (River Tyne)

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress has been made in discussions between her Department and the Port of Tyne Authority concerning the dredging of the River Tyne and the disposal at sea of contaminated sediment; and what the present position is regarding the dredging and disposal.

Elliot Morley: The Port of Tyne Authority (PoT) applied for a licence in February 2003 to dispose of 315,123 cubic metres of sediment dredged from wharves within the port to the Souter Point disposal ground. Some sediments are contaminated with Tributyl-tin and heavy metals.
	Defra and its advisers from the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquatic Science (CEFAS) have met the PoT on a number of occasions to discuss potential disposal options. I met representatives of the port authority on 3 December.
	On the basis of the currently available information, the levels of contamination are such that we would not be prepared to licence simple disposal of the sediments at sea. I also appreciate that land based disposal or remediation would be prohibitively expensive.
	We have therefore suggested that:
	(i) the PoT should carry out limited further sampling to (a) determine the characteristics of the sediment down to the proposed dredging depth and (b) more closely determine the extent of the most contaminated material. A sampling methodology is to be agreed.
	(ii) with assistance from CEFAS, the PoT should prepare a methodology for confined disposal (capping of the contaminated material with clear material) at Souter Point including a strategy for monitoring the effectiveness of this approach.
	Subject to the results of this work, we would then be prepared to license the disposal of at least part of the amount applied for on this basis.

Flood Protection

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the new structures for (a) flood defences and (b) flood protection are; and what assessment she has made of efficiency savings in terms of (i) costs and (ii) manpower resulting from the introduction of new structures.

Elliot Morley: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced the conclusions of the flood and coastal defence funding review on 12 March 2003. These include the transfer of responsibility for rivers creating the greatest flood risk to the Environment Agency; funding the Environment Agency through a single stream of Defra grand in aid; and introducing a single tier of flood defence committee by abolishing the local tier where it exists but creating additional regional committees where this is considered appropriate.
	These measures are not designed primarily to secure cost or manpower savings. Rather they are designed to help achieve a more assured, streamline, effective and accountable service of flood defence and flood protection, that achieves a better reduction in flood risk nationally for the investment made.
	Defra is however working with the Environment Agency on process improvement which will take account of the changes referred to above, further rationalise scheme appraisal and approval processes and reduce the proportion of overheads in scheme costs.

Fly-tipping

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the total cost to landowners of clearing their land of waste that has been fly-tipped was in each of the last five years; how many convictions for fly-tipping have been secured by the Environment Agency; and what the total amount of fines paid arising from these convictions was.

Elliot Morley: No national data is available on the cost to landowners of clearing illegally dumped waste on private land.
	The Environment Agency has kept separate data on fly-tipping prosecutions since the beginning of calendar year 2002. Before the time, fly-tipping was not distinguished on their database from other Environmental Protection Act (1990) s.3 and 34 offences.
	2002 (Calendar Year)
	Number of prosecutions—252
	Fines—£228,620
	2003 (to end of October)
	Number of prosecutions—210
	Fines—£225,702
	Grand Totals (1 January 20 02—31 October 2003)
	Number of prosecutions—462
	Fines—£454,322

GM Crops

Michael Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  on what basis the herbicide regime for use on GM maize was chosen for the farm-scale trials; what role Aventis (now Bayer) had in its choice; what international research was conducted to establish whether this was a commercially realistic regime to control weeds; and what research she has conducted on whether farmers in other countries use more aggressive herbicide mixes;
	(2)  what arrangements were made to ensure that farmers growing the GM trial crops managed them in a commercially realistic manner; and whether they were (a) required and (b) allowed to respray if the crop was under threat from excess weeds and was unlikely to produce an optimum yield.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 8 December 2003
	The herbicide regime used by farmers growing GM maize in the farm-scale trials was proposed by the product manufacturer, AgrEvo (now Bayer Crop Science). The way farmers could then use the product was further specified under the terms of the draft product label in line with the experimental approval. The draft product label gave farmers the freedom to apply more than one application of the herbicide if they required, providing it was within the specified crop growth stage limits.
	The experimental approval assumed use of the herbicide under UK conditions. No research was conducted on the method of use of this or any other herbicides in other countries as this was not considered necessary.
	The Scientific Steering Committee overseeing the farm-scale evaluations (FSEs) were content from the outset that the proposals for the use of the pesticide provided by the manufacturers and specified in the draft product label were capable of delivering cost-effective weed control under UK conditions. A full audit of herbicide use was conducted as part of the FSEs and published as part of the results (Champion et al. 2003). This paper also gives details of the number of GM maize fields that received more than one application of herbicide. In the published results it was concluded that cost-effective weed control had been achieved. This conclusion was endorsed by the steering committee and was further validated by the publishing journal through their peer-review process.

GM Crops

Michael Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the Royal Society was asked to check the methodology of the farm-scale evaluation research, with particular regard to the selection of the herbicide regimes.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 8 December 2003
	The Royal Society was not asked to check the methodology of the farm-scale evaluations. The independent scientific steering committee was established for this purpose, and the committee endorsed both the methodology generally and the herbicide regimes in particular. The work was again independently validated by the publishing journal, The Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society (Biological Sciences) that operates independently of the Royal Society through its peer review process.

GM Nation Debate

Michael Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  if she will set up a review of the performance of the Central Office for Information in the GM public debate to investigate whether there has been mismanagement or incompetence;
	(2)  what assessment she has made of the implications for the GM Nation debate of constraints on funding.

Elliot Morley: The debate was acknowledged as an innovative process and a learning experience for all involved. We are currently working with the independent Steering Board and COI to consider what lessons can be learned from the GM Public Debate process. We will publish our conclusions in due course.

Hazardous Waste Directive

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what work was undertaken on preparation for the Hazardous Waste Directive in the Department for the Environment, Transport and the Regions;
	(2)  when her predecessor Department was informed of the (a) requirements and (b) implementation date of the EU Hazardous Waste Directive.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 8 December 2003
	The European Commission approved the Hazardous Waste Directive in December 1991. In common with the negotiation of other European Directives, the Government took an active part in proceedings, but there is no detailed record of the amount of work spent on preparation for this particular Directive by the then Department of the Environment.
	The implementation date for the Directive as 27 June 1995 which was set out in an amendment to the Directive approved by the European Commission on 27 June 1994. The Department would have been aware of the Directive's requirements as it was negotiated.

Hazardous Waste Directive

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many staff who worked on the EU Hazardous Waste Directive in the Department for the Environment, Transport and the Regions transferred to her Department to continue this work.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 8 December 2003
	The European Commission approved the Hazardous Waste Directive in December 1991. Its requirements are currently transposed in England by the Special Waste Regulations 1996, but these are to be replaced by new regulations for hazardous waste in 2004. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) was established in June 2001 and all staff that had worked on hazardous waste policy issues in the Department for Environment, Transport and the Regions transferred to Defra to continue this work. The Hazardous Waste Branch of Waste Management Division takes the lad on these issues as well as policy work on the transfrontier shipment of waste and consists of eight staff.

Kyoto Protocol

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the implications for UK environment policy of the statement made by the Russian authorities on 2 December on the Kyoto Protocol.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 8 December 2003
	The Government believe that the Kyoto Protocol, with its binding targets and timetables, is an essential first step in international action to tackle climate change, though of course much greater cuts in greenhouse gasses will be needed.
	President Putin stated at the World Conference on Climate Change in Moscow in early October that the Russian Government was still analysing the economic implications of ratifying the Kyoto Protocol. The statement made by President Putin's economic adviser on 2 December does not appear to be an official statement of policy, and we look forward to a decision from the Russian Government when they have completed their assessment of the Kyoto Protocol.
	The Secretary of State and I are attending the ninth Conference of the Parties on the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Milan, where Parties will be putting the finishing touches on preparations for entry into force of the Kyoto Protocol.

Marine Protection

David Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the (a) work, (b) resourcing and (c) institutional membership of the Marine Environment Monitoring Group.

Elliot Morley: The Marine Environment Monitoring Group (MEMG), formerly the Marine Pollution Monitoring Management Group, is a group of representatives from the Government organisations with marine environmental protection monitoring obligations. The group is chaired by a representative from the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS). Its aim is to ensure that monitoring of the marine environment is conducted in a co-ordinated way, is as cost-effective as possible and meets national and international requirements.
	MEMG has no specific resources. The Departments and agencies who are members support the work of the group, and carry out the monitoring which it seeks to co-ordinate, as part of their own operations.
	The core members of MEMG are:
	Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Sciences
	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	Environment Agency
	Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (Northern Ireland)
	Environment and Heritage Service (Northern Ireland)
	Fisheries Research Services Marine Laboratory, Aberdeen
	Scottish Environment Protection Agency
	The National Assembly for Wales (Environment Division)
	Scottish Executive Rural Affairs Department
	Sir Alister Hardy Foundation for Ocean Sciences
	Joint Nature Conservation Committee
	IACMST Marine Observations Action Group

Marine Protection

David Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what resources her Department has committed to support the work of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea.

Ben Bradshaw: No specific resources are committed directly to support the work of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) other than an annual subscription of approximately £130,000. However, an indirect resource commitment to ICES arises from the participation of scientists from the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS), a Defra agency, in ICES science and advisory working groups, and in the governance of ICES itself. These working groups cover areas of marine and freshwater fisheries, aquaculture, the environment and the ecosystem. The Current chairs of the Resource Management Science Committee and the Advisory Committee on the Ecosystem are currently also CEFAS scientists.
	My predecessor, my hon. Friend the member for Scunthorpe (Elliot Morley) also signed, on behalf of the UK, the "Copenhagen Declaration" in 2002 in celebration of 100 years of ICES, wherein we affirmed our continuing support for ICES.

Marine Protection

David Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what regulatory impact assessments have been prepared by her Department in respect of agreements made on the control of radioactive substances under the OSPAR Commission; and if she will place copies in the Library.

Elliot Morley: The Department published the UK Strategy for Radioactive Discharges 2001–2020 in July 2002. This constitutes the UK national plan for achieving the objective of the OSPAR Strategy with Regard to Radioactive Substances and it includes a regulatory impact assessment. Copies of the UK Strategy are in the Library.

Marine Protection

David Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which OSPAR priority areas in the radioactive materials sector have been volunteered to date by the United Kingdom as ones on which UK scientists will undertake basic scientific work as the lead country for OSPAR; which other areas are being considered for volunteer research; and if she will make a statement on United Kingdom relations with OSPAR.

Elliot Morley: UK experts are closely involved in the work programme of the OSPAR Radioactive Substances Committee. Current tasks for which the UK is the lead country are the preparation of proposals for reporting on discharges of radioactive substances from oil and gas installations and proposals for harmonised reporting procedures for inputs of radioactive substances from the non-nuclear sector.
	UK experts have also participated in three inter-sessional working groups to establish the baseline situation regarding radioactive substances in the marine environment, against which progress in achieving the objective of the OSPAR Strategy with regard to Radioactive Substances will be assessed. In addition, a UK expert is a member of the Radioactive Discharges Expert Assessment Panel, which examines trends in discharges from nuclear installations.

Marine Protection

David Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what joint assessment and monitoring is being undertaken by UK-based scientific institutions on behalf of OSPAR; and if she will publish a list of current research projects in collaboration with OSPAR.

Elliot Morley: OPSAR agreed a revised Joint Assessment and Monitoring Programme at the Commission meeting in Bremen in June. A copy is in the Library of the House, and is available on the OSPAR website www.ospar.org. A large number of scientific institutions provide data which is used to fulfil the reporting requirements in respect of UK waters. These include the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquatic Science, the Environment Agency, English Nature, and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, and the equivalent bodies in the devolved Administrations.
	The Department has an extensive research programme on marine environmental issues, and most projects will in one way or another inform the UK's input into the work of OSPAR. In some cases, such as the development of a number of Ecological Quality objectives, this work is being done by the UK on behalf of OSPAR as lead country; in other cases, the research will inform the UK's input to debate within OSPAR. A list of the 74 projects currently in the programme can be found on the Defra website at www.defra.gov.uk/research/project data/Default.asp.

Recycled Products

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of the Government's total procurement of materials and products comprised recycled products in each year since 1997; and what the projections are for (a) 2003, (b) 2004 and (c) 2005.

Elliot Morley: Figures on recycled products and materials bought by the Government are not collected centrally and doing so would incur a disproportionate cost. In regards to the Government's current position on buying recycled paper products, I refer my hon. Friend to the Answer given to the hon. Member for Guildford (Sue Doughty) on 4 December 2003, Official Report, column 146W. Data on recycled paper bought by Government is available in the "Sustainable Development in Government" and "Greening Government" reports, which are available online at www.sustainable-development.gov.uk/sdig/reports/index.htm. Copies are also available in the Library.
	Government is currently developing sustainable procurement targets under the "Framework for Sustainable Development on the Government Estate". The targets and online guidance will be published by Spring next year.

Recycling

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the processed output from mechanical biological treatment works counts towards local authority recycling targets.

Elliot Morley: Mechanical biological treatment [MBT] describes a range of processes with the common purpose of treating residual waste after material recovery, to prepare it for final disposal. Where this results in the recovery of further materials that are sent for recycling or a compost that meets the criteria set for the composting indicator then these outputs will count towards local authority Best Value targets for recycling and composting.

Regional Waste Plans

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the status of a local authority waste plan if its policies are in contravention of a regional waste plan.

Keith Hill: I have been asked to reply.
	Local planning authorities are required, in formulating the policies in their development plans, to have regard to regional planning guidance as well as to current national policies. Planning Policy Guidance Note 10 (PPG10), "Planning and Waste Management", sets out a number of matters that waste planning authorities should take into account in developing the waste planning strategy for their area including regional planning guidance on waste management. PPG10 also expects waste planning authorities to plan for a provision of waste management facilities that is consistent with forecasts of local and regional requirements, as well as other planning considerations.
	The weight attached to policies in a development plan depends upon the stage of plan preparation or review, increasing as successive stages are reached. Where an adopted or approved development plan contains relevant policies, section 54A of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 requires that an application for planning permission or an appeal shall be determined in accordance with the plan, unless material considerations indicate otherwise.

Rural Transport

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the future of the Rural Transport Partnership grants.

Alun Michael: The Countryside Agency's Rural Transport Partnership grant scheme runs until March 2004, as set out in the 2000 Rural White Paper. The Agency has recently reviewed the scheme and the outcome will feed into the Agency's and Defra's decisions on the future direction and funding of the programme. It is hoped to announce the result with the Agency's settlement in the New year.

Sustainable Development

Julia Drown: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what action she is taking to ensure that her Department's bid to the forthcoming Government spending round contributes towards the UK's objectives on sustainable development.

Alun Michael: Defra's key principle is sustainable development which involves balancing economic, social and environmental considerations and is consistent with the wider approach of government as a whole. In Defra an Integrated Policy Appraisal (IPA) tool, which provides a systematic framework for the identification of the environmental, social and economic impacts of a policy, is actively promoted within the department. We will apply the IPA tool to our spending plans in SR04.

Timber

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs by what means the policy for purchasing timber and timber products of (a) the Department, (b) the Centre for Science Laboratory, (c) the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, (d) the Pesticides Safety Directorate, (e) the Rural Payments Agency, (f) the Veterinary Laboratories Agency, (g) the Veterinary Medicines Directorate, (h) the Forestry Commission, (i) the Countryside Agency and (j) English Nature ensure that they are obtained from legal and sustainable sources.

Elliot Morley: Details of the policy for purchasing timber are published on the Sustainable Development in Government Site. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs operates in accordance with this policy by using the model contract specification clause devised by Defra on behalf of all central government departments. This clause is designed to ensure that timber and timber products from legal and sustainable sources are supplied and that contractors provide documentary evidence to prove compliance.
	Defra's Estate Strategy and Services Division is responsible for all major works and estate management on the Defra estate and that of the Pesticides Safety Directorate, the Rural Payments Agency, the Veterinary Laboratories Agency and the Veterinary Medicines Directorate. Adherence to the timber policy for the Department and these executive agencies falls to this central body of staff, which is fully appraised of the timber purchase policy.
	The central Science Laboratory and Centre for Environmental Fisheries and Aquaculture are responsible for their own buildings and maintenance. They have also been made aware of the policy and have systems in place to ensure observance.
	The Countryside Agency has confirmed that it has adopted the Government's policy on Timber Procurement for all construction and fitting-out contracts, as evidenced by the inclusion of "Sustainable Sources Only" Condition/Clause within Invitation to Tender/Contract Specification document.
	The Forestry Commission is the Government Department responsible for forestry policy throughout Great Britain. All the woodland it manages (over 800,000 hectares) has been independently certified as being sustainably managed. On procurement, the Commission implements Government guidance to ensure that timber and timber products it purchases are only from legal and sustainable sources and records details of all such purchases.
	English Nature has confirmed that it too is seeking to purchase timber from legal and sustainable sources and that its contracts are drafted to ensure compliance with this policy.

Water Supplies

Jack Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what statutory responsibilities apply to (a) owners of private water supplies and (b) local authorities to ensure that water supplied for domestic consumption meets legal requirements in respect of (i) lead content and (ii) coliforms; what action they are required to take to ensure that water supplies which fail to meet required standards are improved; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: Any person who supplies water in connection with a commercial use is under a general duty of care to consumers, whether the supplier is a commercial supplier or is someone who offers occasional bed and breakfast facilities in their own home.
	A local authority has a general duty to take steps to keep itself informed about the wholesomeness and sufficiency of water supplies, including every private water supply, to premises in their area. A supply is normally wholesome if it meets the standards set by the Private Water Supplies Regulations 1991, which include a maximum permitted concentration for lead and a standard of nil coliform bacteria.
	Local authorities have a duty to monitor private water supplies at the frequencies set out in the Private Water Supplies Regulations 1991. Frequency depends on daily volume of supply or numbers of consumers. There is no statutory monitoring of private supplies that serve single dwellings solely for the daily domestic use of the occupants. Authorities prefer to advise such consumers informally where a supply is unwholesome.
	Where a private supply is unwholesome, a local authority may serve a private supply notice, specifying remedial steps, or one or more "relevant persons". The steps may, for example, include installing a water treatment system, replacing lead pipework or taking protective measures at the source to prevent contamination. Such persons may be owners or occupiers of premises supplied by the private supply, or of premises where the source of the supply is situated, or persons exercising management or control in relation to the source.

Tees Estuary

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what inspection has taken place since their arrival to establish whether alien species are present in the ships which have arrived in Hartlepool for decommissioning by Able UK.

Elliot Morley: No inspections have yet been carried out to establish what organisms are present in the ships. Samples of the ballast water will be required to be taken for inspection and analysis before any discharge of ballast water is authorised.

TREASURY

Influenza

Paul Burstow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many children in the age groups (a) 0 to four and (b) five to 14 have died of influenza in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Paul Burstow, dated 9 December 2003
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many children in the age groups (a) 0–4 (b) 5–14 have died of influenza in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.
	The latest available data are for 2002. Figures for the ten years 1993 to 2002 are therefore given in the table below.
	
		Deaths from influenza(5), England and Wales, 1993 to 2002(6)
		
			  0–4(7) 5–14 
		
		
			 1993 1 1 
			 1994 2 0 
			 1995 4 0 
			 1996 1 1 
			 1997 2 0 
			 1998 5 1 
			 1999 6 2 
			 2000 3 0 
			 2001 4 1 
			 2002 4 1 
		
	
	(5) Selected using code 487 from the International Classification of Diseases Ninth Revision for 1993 to 2000 and codes J10-J11 from the International Classification of Diseases Tenth Revision for 2001 and 2002.
	(6) Figures are for deaths occurring in each calendar year.
	(7) Excludes deaths under 28 days.

60-year-olds

Steve Webb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many single (a) women and (b) men will reach the age of 60 years between 21 September and 25 December.

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Mr Len Cook to Mr Steve Webb, dated 9 December 2003
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your question concerning the number of single women and single men who will reach the age of 60 years between 21 September and 25 December 2003.
	It is estimated that there will be 20,400 single women and 17,100 single men in England and Wales who will reach the age of 60 during this period. Single has been defined to include single (never married), widowed and divorced.
	These figures are estimates. They have been derived using the latest national population projections produced by the Government Actuary's Department.
	Data from the Office for National Statistics on the pattern of births in 1943 indicates the proportion of the projected total number of 59-year old men and women in June 2003 who will reach the age of 60 between 21 September and 25 December 2003. Date from the national population projections by marital status produced by the Government Actuary's Department have been used to estimate the proportion who are single.

80-year-olds

Steve Webb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many single (a) women and (b) men will reach the age of 80 years between 21 September and 25 December.

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Steve Webb dated 9 December 2003
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your question concerning the number of single women and single men who will reach the age of 80 years between 21 September and 25 December 2003.
	It is estimated that there will be 29,500 single women and 9,800 single men in England and Wales who will reach the age of 80 during this period. Single has been defined to include single (never married), widowed and divorced.
	These figures are estimates. They have been derived using the latest national population projections produced by the Government Actuary's Department.
	Data from the Office for National Statistics on the pattern of births in 1923 indicates the proportion of the projected total number of 79-year-old men and women in June 2003 who will reach the age of 80 between 21 September and 25 December 2003. Data from the national population projections by marital status produced by the Government Actuary's Department have been used to estimate the proportion who are single.

Big Conversation

Oliver Heald: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what visits (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department (i) have made and (ii) plan to make using public funds in connection with the Big Conversation; how many civil servants accompanied each Minister in respect of such visits; what the cost to public funds was of visits by (A) each Minister and (B) civil servants in connection with the Big Conversation; and if he will make a statement.

Ruth Kelly: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my right hon. Friend the Lord Privy Seal and Leader of the House today.

Companies' Tax

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to propose legislation to require companies to publish in their annual reports a table showing the annual pre-tax profits and tax paid in each country.

Dawn Primarolo: The legal requirements for companies' published annual accounts are covered by the Companies Act which is within the responsibility of the Department of Trade and Industry. I am not aware of any plans on their part to change the legislation in the way you suggest.

Computers (Tax Relief)

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what definition of computer is used by the Inland Revenue for the purposes of the changes to tax relief on employer-loaned computers introduced in the March 1999 budget.

Dawn Primarolo: The tax law (section 320 of the Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003) which sets out the benefits tax exemption for computers loaned to employees by employers does not define the term. In cases of doubt the Inland Revenue will have regard to the particular facts. In addition to the computer itself, the exemption also covers printers, scanners and other devices designed for use with a computer.

Customs and Excise

Jim Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps Her Majesty's Customs takes to check imported postal packets; and how many cases of (a) imports of banned items and (b) potential tax evasion were detected in the last three financial years.

John Healey: HM Customs and Excise control imported postal packets at the Royal Mail's two international postal depots at Coventry and Mount Pleasant.
	Customs controls are applied to all postal packets imported into the UK from outside the European Union using well-established risk assessment techniques to identify consignments for examination. In addition, Customs examine declarations affixed to packets to ensure that the correct customs duty, excise duty and VAT are charged and collected. This process includes risk-based testing of packets with incomplete or missing declarations.
	Customs records do not identify the number of individual packets on which tax may have been evaded as a result of mis-description or under-evaluation.
	Packets containing banned items, including drugs, tobacco products, obscene material and firearms, are seized by Customs. The following table gives the numbers of packets containing banned items which were seized in the last three years.
	
		
			  Packets identified and seized 
		
		
			 2000–01 21,768 
			 2001–02 20,008 
			 2002–03 18,218

Euro

Helen Liddell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the recent work of the Standing Committee on Euro Preparations.

Ruth Kelly: The Chancellor's Standing Committee on Euro Preparations met on 23 October. It welcomed new members appointed by the Chancellor, and discussed next steps for preparations, the third outline National Changeover Plan and the work of the new Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland Euro Preparations committees. They also considered the seventh Report on Euro Preparations, which was published by HM Treasury on 18 November.
	Minutes of the meeting will be available shortly on www.euro.gov.uk.

Euro

Helen Liddell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the recent work of the (a) Scottish, (b) Welsh and (c) Northern Ireland euro preparation committees.

Ruth Kelly: Information about the work of the Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland Euro Preparations Committees was published in Chapter 3 of the Seventh Report on Euro Preparations, issued by HMT on 18 November. Minutes of the meetings are available at www.dfpni.gov.uk (Northern Ireland), www.wales.gov.uk (Wales) and www.scottishsecretary.gov.uk (Scotland).

Film Industry

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the titles of each film production which has benefited from film industry tax relief for each year since 2001–02; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Details of individual films that have benefited from tax relief cannot be disclosed for reasons of taxpayer confidentiality. Exemption 15 (Statutory and other restrictions) of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information applies. There are two main reliefs, section 42 of the Finance (No.2) Act 1992 and section 48 of the Finance (No. 2) Act 1997, available for expenditure incurred on the production or acquisition of the master version of a British qualifying film. DCMS certifies British qualifying films under the terms of the Films Act 1985. A list of qualifying films for the period since 1997 has been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Iraq

David Stewart: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to re-assess Iraq's debt repayments to the UK to assist the reconstruction of the country.

Paul Boateng: The Government has made clear that we are seeking a fair and sustainable solution to Iraq's debt problems.
	We believe the most effective way to deliver a solution is for the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and other responsible international organisations, to complete first their assessment of Iraq's needs, resources and obligations. That would then be followed by a comprehensive debt restructuring by the Paris Club of official creditors and comparable treatment from other official and private creditors. G7 finance ministries have asked creditors to make their best efforts to complete the process by the end of 2004.
	The Government believes that Iraq's debts should be dealt with under the new "Evian approach" to debt restructuring agreed by the Paris Club in October, which offers a long-term solution for countries with the most serious debt problems, including debt reduction where a need is clearly demonstrated. The Prime Minister has made clear that he hopes creditors will be generous in recognising Iraq's needs for the future.

London Infrastructure

Linda Perham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  if he will take steps to increase investment in London's infrastucture in response to projected population increases;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the need for an increase in investment in London's infrastructure to address projected population increases.

Ruth Kelly: Spending plans were set out in the 2002 Spending Review for 2003–06, which included significant resources for infrastructural investment in all areas of the UK, including in London. The allocation of these resources takes in to account a number of factors, some of which relate to population. The Spending Review 2004 will also take into account these factors.

Public Sector Efficiency Review

Jim Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will set out the terms of reference of the Gershon public sector efficiency review; and whether that review is able to consider the value for money of different (a) project management methods and (b) financing mechanisms.

Paul Boateng: The Government have asked Peter Gershon to undertake an independent review of efficiency across public services. He has identified six areas of activity to focus on, and these are the areas that he believes will have the greatest impact on efficiency. They are procurement, back office functions, transactional services, productive time, policy, finance and regulation of the public sector and policy, finance and regulation of the private sector. Further details are set out in the consultation paper which was issued on 20 October, and which was made available to the House on that day.

Regional Emphasis Documents

Linda Perham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish the Regional Emphasis Documents to be submitted to his Department by 31 December.

Paul Boateng: The Treasury does not intend to publish the Regional Emphasis Documents, which are an input to Spending Review 2004. The documents are being produced jointly in each English region outside London by the Government Office, Regional Development Agency and regional chamber. In London, the Government Office, London Development Agency and Greater London Authority are producing the document. It is for the institutions in each region to decide whether to make the documents publicly available.

Supermarkets

Matthew Green: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what meetings have taken place between his Department and representatives of (a) Tesco, (b) Sainsbury's and (c) Asda, including Asda's parent company Wal-Mart in the last 12 months; and what the (i) date and (ii) subject of each meeting was.

John Healey: Treasury officials and Ministers frequently meet with representatives of all kinds of businesses at many kinds of events. The Department has had a number of meetings with these supermarkets to discuss a variety of subjects in the last year.

Tax Avoidance

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information his Department has supplied to the US authorities to help them with their investigations into tax avoidance schemes designed by accountancy firms.

Dawn Primarolo: The Inland Revenue cannot comment on particular cases. However, the Government regard exchange of information as essential in combating tax evasion and avoidance. The Inland Revenue regularly provides appropriate information under the provisions of agreements that provide for exchange of information.

Tax Credits

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what the time scale is for the repayment of tax credit overpayments;
	(2)  what methods of repayment of tax credit overpayment are available;
	(3)  how many people in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) Tyne and Wear, (d) the North East and (e) the UK have received tax credit overpayments.

Dawn Primarolo: Overpayments of tax credits are identified when circumstances and income for the tax year are known and the award is finalised. Therefore no figures for the number of families with overpayment are yet available. During the year, awards of tax credit may be adjusted when changes of circumstances are reported or to prevent an overpayment arising at the end of the year.
	The Inland Revenue's Code of Practice 26 explains how overpayments identified at the end of the year are recovered, and over what period.

Tax Penalties

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the yield in each year since 1997 was of (a) tax penalties and (b) interest on overdue tax accruing to (i) the Inland Revenue and (ii) Customs and Excise; and what percentage of total tax revenue this represented.

Dawn Primarolo: The information is as follows:
	Inland Revenue
	Details of the yield, to include additional tax, interest and penalties resulting from the Inland Revenue's work tackling non-compliance are set out in the Inland Revenue Annual Reports, copies of which are in the House of Commons Library. While separate details of late filing penalties are shown, details of the full amount of other penalties included in yield figures shown are not available and could be ascertained only at disproportionate cost.
	Receipts from interest on overdue tax in the accounting years from 1997 are shown in the following table. Figures for 2002 will not be available until the Board publishes its annual report shortly.
	
		
			  Total receipts (£ million) Interest receipts (£ million) Percentage 
		
		
			 1997 102,431.5 230.1 0.23 
			 1998 116,237.9 260.1 0.22 
			 1999 125,888.9 321.1 0.26 
			 2000 117,298.2 319.0 0.27 
			 2001 117,842.7 327.2 0.27 
		
	
	Customs and Excise
	The table contains information published in the Customs and Excise Annual Report. The report for 2002–03 is yet to be finalised for publication.
	
		
			  All taxes and duties (£ million)(8) Fines and penalties (£ million) Interest (£ million)(9) Penalties and interest as percentage total yield 
		
		
			 1996–97 82,381 82 28 0.13 
			 1997–98 90,136 90 33 0.14 
			 1998–99 94,033 96 37 0.14 
			 1999–2000 97,699 98 49 0.15 
			 2000–01 102,282 103 39 0.14 
			 2001–02 104,874 88 41 0.12 
			 2002–03 108,895 106 36 0.13 
		
	
	(8) Does not include penalty or interest receipts.
	(9) Interest is charged only on incorrect tax declarations where it represents commercial restitution.

Tax Penalties

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the current interest rates (a) charged on overdue tax and (b) paid on money owed to taxpayers are; and how these figures have changed since the latest rise in base rates by the Bank of England.

Dawn Primarolo: The information is to be found on the Inland Revenue's website at http://newinternet. inrev.gov.uk/rates/interest.htm.

VAT (Children's Clothes)

Tim Loughton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to revise the criteria for the size of children's clothes subject to VAT.

John Healey: Following a review which the Government undertook with the industry and others, the scope of the zero rate was simplified and modernised in Budget 2001 to reflect more accurately the size of the average 13-year-old child. There are no plans to revise the criteria further.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Alcohol Bans

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the effectiveness in tackling antisocial behaviour by the designation by local community safety partnerships of alcohol-free zones in public places;
	(2)  if he will list the local authorities which have banned the consumption of alcohol in designated public places where the premises concerned are not licensed.

Hazel Blears: Section 12–16 of the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 (CJPA) came into force on 1 September 2001. The provisions in the Act allow local authorities to designate areas to restrict public drinking where there is evidence that nuisance is alcohol related. In such designated areas the police may use their discretionary powers to confiscate all alcohol where they reasonably believe that continued drinking in that place will lead to further disorder or nuisance. An assessment has not been undertaken on the effectiveness of designation orders.
	Under the CJPA a place is not a designated public place or a part of such a place if it is a licensed premises or a registered club. As of June 2003, over 70 local authorities had notified the Home Office that they have made designation orders under Section 13 of the CJPA to restrict antisocial public drinking in areas that have experienced alcohol-related disorder or nuisance. The local authorities were listed in the response given to my hon. Friend the Member for City of Durham (Mr. Steinberg) on 18 June 2003, Official Report, column 257W.

Air Support Units (Police)

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what support he gives to police air support units; in which locations; and what bids have been submitted in the most recent round.

Hazel Blears: £4 million is made available each year towards capital funding for police air support units in England and Wales.
	Bids currently under consideration by the Home Office for capital funding in the next financial year have been received from the following forces:
	Cambridgeshire
	Cheshire
	Derbyshire
	Dorset
	Dyfed Powys
	Essex
	Leicestershire
	Metropolitan police
	Northumbria (on behalf of the North East Consortium which includes Durham and Cleveland police)
	North Wales
	Suffolk
	West Yorkshire
	A decision on the allocation of capital funding for 2004–05 will be announced in January 2004.

Airwave Service

Edward Leigh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether initial problems in the implementation of the Airwave service for the police have been overcome; and whether he is able to quantify the benefit to the police of this service as indicated in the Government's response to the 64th Report of the Committee of Public Accounts of Session 2001–02, Public Private Partnerships: Airwave.

Hazel Blears: Yes. The initial problems have been overcome. The Airwave service is now available to more than half of the police forces. It is fully operational in nine police forces, and over 30,000 users are already enjoying the benefits of modern, secure, high-quality communications.
	A Business Benefits project has been set up under the Airwave programme. It will provide a full quantitative analysis of the benefits of Airwave compared with previous police radio systems and will monitor the realisation of those benefits.

Anti-Social Behaviour Orders

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Anti-Social Behaviour Orders have been granted for (a) juveniles and (b) adults (i) in Middlesbrough, South and Cleveland, East (ii) in the Teesside region and (iii) in England.

Hazel Blears: Information on the number of notifications received by the Home Office of Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (ASBOs) issued up to 30 June 2003 (latest available) is given in the table.
	
		Number of ASBOs issued, as notified to the Home Office, within the Cleveland Magistrates Courts Committee area, from 1 April 1999 up to 30 June 2003
		
			 Area Total issued Total age 10–17 Total age 18+ Total age not known 
		
		
			 Cleveland/Teesside region(10) 14 12 1 1 
			 Of which: 
			 From 1 April 1999 to 31 May 2000 by pfa(11) 1 0 0 1 
			 From 1 June 2000 to 30 June 2003 by local authority area 13 12 1 0 
			 Hartlepool BC 6 5 1 0 
			 Middlesbrough Council 3 3 0 0 
			 Redcar and Cleveland Council 2 2 0 0 
			 Stockton on Tees BC 2 2 0 0 
			  
			 England 1,293 650 493 (12)150 
		
	
	(10) The Teesside region includes Hartlepool, Redcar and East Cleveland, Middlesbrough and Stockton on Tees local authority areas.
	(11) From 1 April 1999 to 31 May 2000 data was collected by police force area (pfa) only on the number of orders issued or refused.
	(12) Includes 104 orders issued from 1 April 1999 to 31 May 2000.

Anti-Social Behaviour Orders

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many anti-social behaviour orders have been issued in (a) the Vale of York and (b) North Yorkshire in each of the last three years.

Hazel Blears: The number of notifications received by the Home Office of anti-social behaviour orders (ASBOs) issued within the North Yorkshire magistrates courts committee (MCC) area, which includes the Vale of York, up to 30 June 2003 (latest available) is given in the table.
	
		The number of notifications, as reported to the Home Office, of ASBOs issued in North Yorkshire from 1 June 20001 to 30 June 2003 (latest available)
		
			  Number 
		
		
			  
			  
			 1 June 2000 to 31 December 2000 0 
			 1 January 2001 to 31 December 2001 7 
			 1 January 2002 to 30 November 2002 0 
			 31 December 2002 to 30 June 2003(14) 2 
			 Total 9 
		
	
	(13) From 1 April 1999 up to 31 May 2000 data collected by police force area (pfa).
	(14) Following implementation of the Police Reform Act (2 December 2002), data for December 2002 is incorporated into the first quarter 2003 data.

Antiques Burglary

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many incidents of antiques burglary were recorded by police in the SENLAC division of East Sussex in each quarter in the last two years.

Hazel Blears: This information is not collected centrally.

Asylum Law

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will estimate the number of people to whom clause 15 of the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc.) Bill might apply.

Beverley Hughes: Clause 15 of the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc.) Bill, which refers to electronic monitoring, applies to persons subject to immigration control who appear to be at least 18 years of age where a residence restriction is imposed, where a reporting restriction could be imposed and where immigration bail is granted subject to a bail bond (except where bail is granted by a police officer or the Special Immigration Appeals Commission). The number of individuals to whom this would apply would also depend on individual risk assessment and the outcome of pilots which we plan to undertake once the legislation is in place.

Bedfordshire Police Force

Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many officers left the Bedfordshire Police Force in (a) the last year for which figures are available and (b) each of the last five years, broken down by (i) rank and (ii) length of service.

Hazel Blears: The available information is given in the table.
	
		Police officer leavers for Bedfordshire Police Force (full time equivalents)
		
			  Association of Chief Police Officers rank Chief Superintendent Superintendent Chief Inspector Inspector Sergeant Constable 
		
		
			 31 March 1999 2 — 5 1 4 6 45 
			 31 March 2000 0 — 3 2 1 7 45 
			 31 March 2001 1 — 1 0 2 6 62 
			 31 March 2002 1 — 1 0 4 6 38 
			 31 March 2003(15) 0 1 0 1 7 12 71 
		
	
	(15) Not comparable to previous wastage figures as data do not include transfers to other England and Wales forces and officers leaving after a period of secondment.

Bedfordshire Police Force

Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many officers were recruited to the Bedfordshire Police Force in (a) the last year for which figures are available and (b) each of the last five years.

Hazel Blears: The available information is given in the table:
	
		Police officers joining Bedfordshire Police Force (full time equivalents)
		
			 Bedfordshire Number 
		
		
			  
			  
			 3 March 1999 36 
			 3 March 2000 37 
			 3 March 2001 82 
			 3 March 2002 131 
			 3 March 2003(16) 136 
		
	
	(16) Not comparable to previous recruitment figures as data include transfers from other England and Wales forces and officers returning after a period of secondment.

Burglaries (Suffolk)

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many burglaries were reported to the police in Suffolk in each year since 1996–97; and how many reported burglaries in Suffolk resulted in a conviction in each year.

Hazel Blears: Numbers of reported crimes are not collected centrally. The number of crimes recorded by the police are collected and published annually. Information on recorded burglaries are given in the table.
	
		All Burglary(17) in Suffolk from 1996 to 2002–03
		
			 Year Number of offences recorded 
		
		
			  
			  
			 1996(18) 6,384 
			 1997(18) 6,094 
			 1998–99(19) 6,241 
			 1999–2000 6,214 
			 2000–01(20) 5,738 
			 2001–02 6,346 
			 2002–03 6,248 
		
	
	(17) All burglary comprises burglary in a dwelling, and burglary in a building other than a dwelling.
	(18) Recorded on a calendar year basis up to 1997 and on a financial year basis thereafter.
	(19) There was a change of counting rules for recorded crime on 1 April 1998, which had the effect of increasing the number of crimes counted. Numbers of offences for years before and after this date are therefore not directly comparable.
	(20) Suffolk implemented the National Crime Recording Standard (NCRS) on 1 April 2000, two years prior to the national implementation. This will have had the effect of inflating the number of crimes counted.
	Number of convictions for all burglary offences in Suffolk 1 are not available before 1999–2000. The available statistics are given in the table.
	1 Based on court proceedings statistics used for Narrowing the Justice Gap.
	
		
			 Year Number of convictions 
		
		
			 1999–2000 414 
			 2000–01 369 
			 2001–02 337

Closed Circuit Television Cameras

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what funds are available for installation of CCTV cameras in villages.

Hazel Blears: There are currently funds available for the installation of CCTV in all locations, including villages, under the Building Safer Communities Fund. The Building Safer Communities Fund is allocated by the Home Office to Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships to enable them to tackle local crime priorities through a number of interventions, including CCTV. For 2003–04 the Building Safer Communities Fund has provided Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships with £72.3 million.

Community Support Officers

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many community support officers served (a) St. Helens, (b) Merseyside and (c) the North West region in each year since 1992.

Hazel Blears: The Community Support Officers (CSO) initiative began in September 2002. Accordingly between 1992 and September 2002, there were no CSOs in St. Helens, Merseyside and the North West region.
	The table gives a breakdown of CSO deployment in the North West region from December 2002 to date and a projection for April 2004.
	
		
			 Force 31 December 2002 1 April 2003 (21)Recruitment to date (22)1 April 2004 
		
		
			 St. Helens 0 8 10 20 
			 Merseyside 0 40 64 100 
			 Total North West Region 21 278 357 426 
		
	
	(21) 1 December 2003
	(22) Projection

Crime (St. Helens)

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the number of (a) violent crimes, (b) gun-related crimes and (c) burglaries which were drug-related in Merseyside in each year since 1992;
	(2)  how many reported crimes there were in St. Helens in each year since 1992, broken down by major category.

Hazel Blears: Statistical data on numbers of offences recorded in different areas do not indicate which may have been committed due to drug taking. However, results from the NEW-ADAM research programme of interviewing and drug testing arrestees between 1999 and 2000 sheds some light on the links between drugs and crime in 16 sites throughout England and Wales. Summary data published in 2001 found that:
	(a) 56 per cent. of arrestees tested positive for an illegal drug with up to 29 per cent. testing positive for opiates (including heroin) and/or cocaine (including crack);
	(b) of those arrestees who reported using illegal drugs in the year prior to arrest, 40 per cent. acknowledged a link between their drug use and offending. Past year users of heroin and/or cocaine/crack were nearly twice as likely (78 per cent.) to acknowledge a link.
	(c) Those not reporting any drug use in the last year reported an average of 46 acquisitive crimes (including theft, burglary, shoplifting, fraud, handling stolen goods, drugs supply and prostitution offences) over the same period. Drug use in general and especially use of heroin and/or cocaine/crack (hcc), was associated with much higher levels of offending. Among hcc users, respondents reported an average of 432 acquisitive crimes. This was nearly ten times higher than for non-drug users.
	However, it should be noted that because an arrestee tested positive for drugs it does not necessarily mean that the consumption of drugs caused the crime to be committed. As a result, while the NEW-ADAM study advanced our knowledge of the links between drugs and crime, it will always be difficult to calculate precisely what proportion of crime is drug-related.
	In September 2003, the Home Office Arrestee Survey commenced at 60 randomly selected custody suites in England and Wales. The survey is ongoing, and involves interviewing and drug testing a representative sample of around 9,000 arrestees per year about their offending and drug use. The survey will enable research into the links between drugs and offending and will also provide robust data at a national level to allow tracking of the Home Office Public Service Agreement target to reduce drug related crime.
	Numbers of crimes recorded by the police in St. Helens are collected and published at Basic Command Unit (BCU) level. At this level, data is available from 1999–2000 to 2002–2003, and the number of crimes recorded are published for six key offence groups, as given in the table.
	
		Number of crimes recorded in St. Helens Basic Command Unit from 1999–2000 to 2002–2003
		
			   Year 
			 Offence 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 
		
		
			 Violence against the person 1,693 1,795 1,913 2,406 
			 Sexual offences 109 153 125 192 
			 Robbery 171 168 214 190 
			 Burglary in a dwelling 1,550 1,669 1,569 1,655 
			 Theft of a motor vehicle 2,000 1,923 1,650 1,654 
			 Theft from a vehicle 1,680 1,725 1,652 1,822 
		
	
	(23) Merseyside implemented the National Crime Recording Standard (NCRS) on 1 April 2002. This will have had the effect of inflating the number of crimes counted. Therefore, following the introduction of the Standard, numbers of recorded crimes are not directly comparable with previous years.

Crime Figures

Patrick McLoughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how may crimes were committed per head of population in West Derbyshire police force areas in the last five years for which figures are available;
	(2)  how many deaths there have been because of (a) dangerous driving, (b) driving under the influence of illegal drugs and (c) driving under the influence of alcohol in (i) West Derbyshire and (ii) East Midlands in each year since 2001.

Hazel Blears: Information on the total number of crimes in West Derbyshire is not available centrally. Recorded crimes per head of population relating to relating to the Derbyshire Constabulary area is given in the table.
	
		Number of crimes recorded by the police per 1,000 population
		
			  Derbyshire 
		
		
			 1998–99(24) 87 
			 1999–2000 88 
			 2000–01 84 
			 2001–02 92 
			 2002–03(25) 108 
		
	
	(24) There was a change of counting rules for recorded crime on 1 April 1998, which had the affect of increasing the number of crimes counted. Numbers of offences for years before and after this date, and figures calculated from them, are therefore not directly comparable.
	(25) The National Crime Recording Standard (NCRS) was introduced in the Derbyshire Constabulary area in April 2002. Nationally, the NCRS has had the effect of increasing the number of rimes recorded by the police. Therefore, following the introduction of the Standard numbers of recorded crimes and figures derived from them are not comparable with previous years.
	Statistics on the number of deaths caused by dangerous driving, driving under the influence of illegal drugs and driving under the influence of alcohol, are not available.

Forensic Science Service

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement about the proposed privatisation of the Forensic Science Service.

Hazel Blears: We are not proposing to privatise the Forensic Science Service (FSS). The reasons for the decision to transform the FSS into a Public Private Partnership (PPP) were set out in the Home Secretary's statement to the House on 17 July. The actions we are taking to establish a successful PPP will ensure that the FSS will continue to compete successfully in partnership with government, while continuing to protect the public interest and deliver major benefits to the wider criminal justice system.
	We have accepted the recommendation of the independent Review of the FSS that the National DNA Database should remain exclusively under public sector control. Arrangements for the future ownership, governance and management are currently subject to consultation between Association of Chief Police Officers, the Association of Police Authorities and the Home Office.

Forensic Science Service

Colin Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what studies have been carried out to estimate the future level of investment needed by the Forensic Science Service in the years 2004 to 2007.

Hazel Blears: Internal and external studies have been undertaken in order to estimate the future level of investment needed by the Forensic Science Service (FSS) in the years 2004–07.
	Each year the FSS reviews its short, medium and long-term investment plans as part of its internal corporate and business planning process.
	The recent Review of the FSS led by Robert McFarland in 2002–03 for the Home Office assessed the future level of investment needed by the Agency from an external perspective.
	Additionally, the FSS's requirements in the area of investment will be reviewed as part of the move to establish it as a Public Private Partnership.

Forensic Science Service

Colin Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what legislation is required to alter the status of the Forensic Science Service in line with the proposed Government plans for the service.

Hazel Blears: The transformation of the Forensic Science Service into a Public Private Partnership will require the revocation of The Forensic Science Service Trading Fund Order 1998.

Forensic Science Service

Colin Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the terms of reference are for the Development and Remuneration Committee of the Forensic Science Service.

Hazel Blears: The Development and Remuneration Committee of the Forensic Science Service is responsible for advising on the organisation of the agency, the staff reward and recognition strategy, and its management and succession planning.
	The Committee also reviews and makes recommendations regarding non-executive directors' fees and expenses, and the terms and conditions of the Chief Executive and the Executive Board.

Forensic Science Service

Desmond Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will publish the terms of reference of the Home Office Review of the Forensic Science Service.

Hazel Blears: I have arranged for a copy of the Final Report of the independent review of the Forensic Science Service to be placed in the Library.

Forensic Science Service

Desmond Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will publish a timetable for the implementation of the recommendations of the Home Office Review of the Forensic Science Service.

Hazel Blears: The implementation of the recommendations of the independent review of the Forensic Science Service, including the timetable for its transformation into a Public Private Partnership, are currently the subject of detailed discussions with key stakeholders.

Gender-specific Drug Treatment

Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to create a specialist gender-specific drug treatment service for women in the community.

Caroline Flint: The National Treatment Agency is implementing Models of Care, which lays down a national framework for the commissioning and provision of local drug services. Models of Care sets quality standards, including on services for women and those with dependent children.
	The NTA has also commissioned the University of Central Lancashire and Drugscope to work directly with drug services in three regions on meeting the needs of specific groups including women with dependants.
	All Drug Action Teams are expected to review provision for under represented groups on an annual basis as part of their treatment planning.

High Crime Areas

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what efforts are being made by his Department to encourage the reporting of crime in high crime areas.

Hazel Blears: We are encouraging more people to report crimes in all areas by improving the way in which crimes reported to the police are recorded. The National Crime Recording Standard, formally introduced in all forces in England and Wales in April 2002, aims to bring greater consistency to the way in which crime is recorded by the police and to ensure a more victim centred approach to crime recording.
	There have also been crime specific initiatives aimed at increasing the numbers of such crimes reported to the police, particularly, domestic violence and sexual offences. For example, the British Crime Survey shows that there was a 5 per cent. Increase in the proportion of violent crimes being reported to the police in 2002–03 compared with the previous year.
	With a total sample size of 40,000 interviews a year, more emphasis is now being placed on the British Crime Survey as a way of measuring crime, as it covers unreported and unrecorded crime as well as offences which are reported to the police. As the survey is unaffected by changes in the level of public reporting to the police or police recording, it provides a more accurate picture of crime across England and Wales.

Iraq

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many UK civilian police officers have been operating in Iraq in each month since May; and what plans there are for future deployment.

Bill Rammell: I have been asked to reply.
	There are currently 11 UK civilian police officers in Iraq, in both Baghdad and Basra. The first four officers were deployed in July. They were joined by six more officers in October and one in November. We intend to deploy 24 police officers soon to the Regional Police Training Academy in Basra to help train new recruit to the Iraqi Police Service.

Knives

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what information his Department records on the types of knives used in assaults and other criminal offences; and what assessment he has made of the trends;
	(2)  how many woundings involving knives were reported in which (a) the perpetrators and (b) the victims were aged (i) under 16, (ii) 16 to 18 and (iii) over 18 in the last five years for which figures are available.

Hazel Blears: This information is not collected centrally.

Knives

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions his Department has had with Chief Constables on the use of stop and search powers to tackle the carrying of knives.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 3 December 2003
	There have been no recent discussions between the Home Department and Chief Constables on the use of stop and search powers specifically to tackle the carrying of knives.
	However, we have consulted the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) on the revision of PACE Code A. It provides the guidance for police officers on the use of the powers of stop and search, including the powers to stop and search for offensive weapons and dangerous instruments. This guidance has recently been revised—a new version came into force on 1 April 2003. A further revision will come into force in April 2004. ACPO will be consulted on future revisions.
	A stop and search sub group has been set up under the Lawrence Steering Group to look at issues around stop and search. ACPO are represented on that group. The sub group's work includes considering ACPO guidance to the police on their powers to stop and search for offensive weapons and dangerous instruments under section 60 Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994.

Neighbourhood Watch Scheme

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on the relationship between the police and neighbourhood watch schemes.

Hazel Blears: The police play a crucial supporting role for Neighbourhood Watch at a local level. This includes providing advice on how to set up schemes and assisting with administration and publicity. In some cases co-ordinators and scheme members work as part of a "Watch Support Group" in police premises.
	Watch schemes can be vital partners of the police in the fight against crime. Their role in preventing crime, supporting victims and reporting crime is a key one.
	The Government along with the Association of Chief Police Officers and the National Neighbourhood Watch Association are building on this relationship to ensure that those who give their time to their local Neighbourhood Watch schemes and their communities will get as much support as possible from the police.

Neighbourhood Watch Scheme

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much funding was provided by central Government to the Neighbourhood Watch Scheme in each of the last three years for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: Neighbourhood Watch is a movement of over 155,000 local schemes covering around six million households. Local schemes are independent and largely self-financing. Police support for schemes can be considerable but its monetary value has not been calculated.
	The Home Office supports the National Neighbourhood Watch Association. For the last three years it sponsored their annual conference at a cost of £80,000pa. The organisation is largely self-financing with funding from the private sector. Last year the Home Office provided a grant of £150,000 and this year it has provided £200,000 to date. This was to assist the Organisation during a period of transition between private sponsors.
	The Home Office also pays for the production of a range of Neighbourhood Watch Publications, including a training manual for scheme co-ordinators, worth around £100,000 each year.

Neighbourhood Watch Scheme

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Neighbourhood Watch schemes there are in England and Wales; and what estimate he has made of how many people belong to them.

Hazel Blears: The 2000 British Crime Survey (BCS) estimated that there were over 155,000 Neighbourhood Watch Schemes in England and Wales covering more than six million households. National Neighbourhood Watch Association estimates that there are approximately 10 million Neighbourhood Watch members in England and Wales.
	A copy of the 2000 BCS Findings on Neighbourhood Watch has been placed in the Library.

Neighbourhood Watch Scheme

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of Neighbourhood Watch schemes.

Hazel Blears: The British Crime Survey contains a number of questions about Neighbourhood Watch, including an assessment of its effectiveness. The findings of the 2000 British Crime Survey have been published and a copy has been placed in the Library.

Police

Tony McWalter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what incentives he is providing to attract police officers who are of continuing value to the service to continue beyond 30 years of service.

Hazel Blears: The Police Negotiating Board (PNB) Agreement of May 2002 included outline provisions for flexible arrangements that would give managers in the police service scope to retain officers who are entitled to retire with maximum pension benefits where they wish to do so. The main points of the 30+ scheme subsequently agreed by the PNB are:
	Retirement from the force with the option of commuting part of one's pension for a tax-free lump sum;
	Re-engagement at former rank and pay level;
	Pension abatement lifted to allow for any replacement allowances lost on retirement to be made good;
	Eligibility for Special Priority Payments and Competency Related Threshold Payments on the same basis as other officers;
	Officer ceases to be a member of the Police Pension Scheme but can accrue further pension benefits by taking out a personal pension.
	The 30+ scheme has been piloted in a selection of forces in England and Wales since December 2002. A total of 15 forces are currently participating and the initial response to the scheme has been generally positive, both from officers and forces. We are currently reviewing the progress of this scheme and will send a report to the PNB later this month about extending the scheme nationally.

Police

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance he has issued to police forces in relation to police officers' membership of or affiliation to (a) political parties and (b) other political organisations; and if he will place copies in the Library.

Hazel Blears: Schedule 1 to the Police Regulations 2003 states that "A member of a police force shall at all times abstain from any activity which is likely to interfere with the impartial discharge of his duties or which is likely to give rise to the impression among members of the public that it may so interfere; and in particular a member of a police force shall not take any active part in politics".
	Copies of Police Regulations 2003 are in the Library (Statutory Instrument No. 527 of 2003).

Police

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consultations have taken place over the last year about the formula for the police financial settlement.

Hazel Blears: The policing community was consulted in August and October 2003 on the potential impact of changes in data used in the formula.
	To provide stability in police funding following major changes for 2003–04, no changes to the structure of the police funding formula have been made for 2004–05 so formula change has not been the subject of consultation.

Police

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many additional police officers have been recruited in (a) England and (b) East Sussex in the last five years; and what percentage increase this represents in each case.

Hazel Blears: The available information is given in the table:
	
		Total police strength1
		
			 31 March England (27)Sussex 
		
		
			  
			  
			 1999 117,195 2,847 
			 2000 115,324 2,822 
			 2001 116,548 2,855 
			 2002 120,073 2,893 
			 2003 124,158 2,989 
			 % change 31 March 1999 to 31 March 2000 5.9% 5.0% 
		
	
	(26) Full time equivalent
	(27) Figures are available for the Sussex Police Force as a whole and not East Sussex as requested.

Police

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers have been (a) killed and (b) injured by drivers (i) failing to stop and (ii) evading arrest in each of the last 10 years; and how many of those injured have retired from the police service as a result.

Hazel Blears: Information in the form requested is not held centrally. Data on homicide of police officers where the method is described as being struck by a motor vehicle and the circumstances as resisting arrest or a reckless act involving a motor vehicle are listed in the following table:
	
		Currently recorded homicides of police officers struck by a motor vehicle
		
			  Circumstances 
			  Resisting arrest Reckless act involving a motor vehicle 
		
		
			 1993 0 0 
			 1994 0 0 
			 1995 0 0 
			 1996 0 0 
			 1997–98 0 0 
			 1998–99 0 0 
			 1999–2000 2 0 
			 2000–01 2 1 
			 2001–02 0 0

Rural Crime

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what representations he has received on the incidence of rural crime, with particular reference to farm land;
	(2)  what representations he has received on the effectiveness of (a) Farm Watch and (b) other rural initiatives to defeat crime; and what support Farm Watch receives from police forces.

Hazel Blears: I am not aware of any representations concerning the effectiveness of Farm Watch, other rural crime initiatives, or concerning rural crime with regard to farmland. The Government are committed to tackling rural crime and has a £30 million Rural Policing Fund, specifically intended to enhance policing in rural areas.
	Most rural forces have Watch schemes in place to tackle rural crime. North Yorkshire Police fully supports Farm Watch and the force has three dedicated Watch Co-ordinators supporting the scheme.

Sexual Assaults

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many sexual assaults were recorded in each Basic Command Unit area of each metropolitan police force in each year for which Basic Command Unit information has been available.

Hazel Blears: Numbers of sexual assaults are not available at Basic Command Unit (BCU) level, although the total number of sexual offences have been published at this level. The metropolitan police forces are taken to be the Metropolitan Police Service, City of London, West Midlands, Merseyside, Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire and Northumbria. The published information is available via the Research Development Statistics (RDS) website, at the following locations:
	1990–2000 and 2000–01 BCU data (Home Office Statistical Bulletin 12/01, Table 11):
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs/1201data3.xls
	2001–02 and 2002–03 BCU data:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs2/hosb703sup2.xls
	The National Crime Recording Standard (NCRS) was introduced across England and Wales in April 2002. Some forces adopted the principles of the Standard prior to this date. Of the eight metropolitan forces, both Greater Manchester (January 2002) and West Midlands (April 1999) adopted the Standard early. Broadly, the NCRS had the effect of increasing the number of crimes recorded by the police. Therefore, following the introduction of the Standard, numbers of recorded crimes are not comparable with previous years.

Speed Cameras (Vandalism)

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many speed cameras have been vandalised in each year from 1998 to 2002.

Caroline Flint: The information is not recorded centrally by the Home Office. We understand from informal reports that such acts are isolated incidents.

Speeding

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which speed camera resulted in the highest number of prosecutions in (a) 2000, (b) 2001 and (c) 2002.

Hazel Blears: Information on the number of prosecutions for speeding offences detected by type of camera device used or individual camera location are not collected centrally.

Speeding

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many hand-held speed-detecting radar guns are in operation in the UK, broken down by (a) police force and (b) Safety Camera Partnership.

Caroline Flint: The information is not available centrally. It is a matter for chief officers of police to decide on the number and type of speed detection devices to purchase from the overall funds allocated to them.

Vehicle Crime

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  if his Department encourages the fitting of window security reinforcement systems as part of the campaign to reduce vehicle crime; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what plans he has to achieve a reduction in vehicle crimes in which vehicle windows are broken to secure entry.

Hazel Blears: The Home Office New Car Security Guidance published in 1998 encouraged car manufacturers to fit glazing that would resist attack by methods commonly used by criminals for a minimum of 30 seconds. This standard applies whether conventional laminated glazing or security film is fitted. Officials are considering the merits of using the recently issued German test standard to measure whether products meet this Home Office requirement. In addition, any glazing (laminated or when fitted with security film) has to meet the appropriate standards set out in the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986, Directive 92/22/EEC and UN/ECE Regulation 43 to ensure safety and durability. We will encourage the fitting of any laminated glazing or security film that meets statutory requirements and makes a significant contribution to vehicle crime reduction.
	We aim to raise motorists' awareness of the benefits of laminated glazing through Home Office publicity material, particularly the booklet "Steer Clear of Car Crime" and our website www.secureyourmotor.gov.uk. We also provide links from our Department for Transport websites to the insurance industry website (www.ncsr.co.uk) which provides motorists with information about their assessment of each car's ability to resist criminal attempts to gain entry.

Victims (Compensation)

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has for widening access to compensation for victims of crime.

Hazel Blears: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend for Slough (Fiona Mactaggart) on 8 December, Official Report, column 235W.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Art Acquisition

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much his Department has spent on the acquisition of works of art in each year since 1997, broken down by amounts spent on (a) paintings and (b) sculpture; what the single most expensive piece of art purchased by his Department since 1997 has been; how much it cost; and what the total revenue raised by his Department through sales of works of art has been since 1997.

Ian Pearson: The annual amount spent on the acquisition of Works of Art by the Northern Ireland Office and Northern Ireland Departments in each financial year since 1997 is detailed in the table. The single most expensive piece of art purchased in that period has been a painting entitled 'Red Chard' at a cost of £7,650. No revenue has been raised through sales of works of art since 1997.
	
		£
		
			  Paintings (including prints) Sculptures (including textiles) Total 
		
		
			  
			  
			 1997–98 21,200 1,800 23,000 
			 1998–99 35,500 3,800 39,300 
			 1999–2000 53,000 6,000 59,000 
			 2000–01 30,000 — 30,000 
			 2001–02 30,050 2,950 33,000 
			 2002–03 23,500 2,500 26,000

Benefit Fraud

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he is taking to prevent benefit fraud in Northern Ireland.

John Spellar: I would refer the hon. Lady to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Strangford (Mrs. Robinson) on 8 December 2003, Official Report, column 266W.

Cory Report

Jeffrey M Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he has taken to consult the families concerned prior to the publication of the Cory Report; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Murphy: The Government are committed to publishing Justice Cory's report as soon as possible, in line with the judge's terms of reference. It remains my priority to inform the families as soon as possible in advance of publication, while bearing in mind my obligations to Parliament.

Disabled Persons Parking Scheme

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland for what reasons those with a colostomy in Northern Ireland no longer qualify for the Disabled Persons Blue Badge Scheme; if he will reverse this decision; and if he will make a statement.

John Spellar: I have asked the Chief Executive of Roads Service to write to the hon. Lady in response to this question. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Library.

Domestic Central Heating

Jane Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many oil-fired domestic central heating installations there are in Northern Ireland.

John Spellar: The Northern Ireland House Condition Survey 2001 found that 377,800 homes in Northern Ireland have oil-fired central heating systems. A further 61,500 homes have dual-fired central heating, where in the great majority of cases oil was the primary fuel.

Evacuated Dwellings Scheme

Jeffrey M Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many police officers in Northern Ireland have had their homes purchased under the scheme to Purchase Evacuated Dwellings as a result of terrorist threats in each year since the scheme was established.

John Spellar: The information requested is not readily available. I will write to the hon. Gentleman when the figures have been compiled, a copy of the letter will be placed in the Library.

Homelessness

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people were registered homeless in Northern Ireland in each of the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the measures he is taking to address homelessness in Northern Ireland.

John Spellar: The information requested is as follows:
	
		
			 Financial year Number accepted as homeless 
		
		
			 2002–03 8,580 
			 2001–02 7,374 
			 2000–01 6,457 
			 1999–2000 5,192 
			 1998–99 4,997 
		
	
	The Government are fully committed towards helping those unfortunate enough to become homeless and while the figures show an annual increase, last year the Northern Ireland Housing Executive re-housed half of all homeless households within three months and 94 per cent. within 12 months. This year the Government plan to fund the provision of 213 new units in Northern Ireland, specifically for homeless families and single people, at a total cost of around £13.5 million. It is also overseeing the implementation of new arrangements for providing housing support services which include provision to help sustain and improve the existing support services provided to homeless people. The Northern Ireland Housing Executive has published the Northern Ireland Homeless Strategy and is working in partnership with all of those who have a part to play in tackling the problem of homelessness. In addition, an inter-departmental, cross sectoral Promoting Social Inclusion Review Group has been set up to consider how to ensure, firstly, that the risk of homelessness is reduced and secondly, that the full range of appropriate services is available to homeless people.

Midwives

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many (a) part-time and (b) full-time midwives were serving in Northern Ireland in each of the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the recruitment of midwives in Northern Ireland.

Angela Smith: The information requested is as follows:
	
		Number of part-time and full-time midwives working in Northern Ireland in each of the past five years
		
			  Part-time Full-time 
			  Count (28)WTE Count WTE 
		
		
			 September 1999 668 437.89 563 563.00 
			 September 2000 706 461.83 506 506.00 
			 September 2001 738 477.92 497 497.00 
			 September 2002 758 492.76 498 498.00 
			 September 2003 769 500.56 508 508.00 
		
	
	(28) Whole Time Equivalent
	Source
	Human Resource Management System
	The Department currently commissions 40 places per annum on an 18 month shortened pre-registration midwifery training programme for registered nurses and the current group of students will complete their course in March 2004. A further group of 40 students commenced training in November 2003. In addition the DHSSPS as a new initiative has commissioned 15 places on a three year direct entry pre-registration midwifery programme in September 2003.

Monitoring Commission

David Burnside: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether allegations of activities by the Provisional IRA and members of Sinn Fein in (a) Colombia and (b) Florida can be investigated by the International Monitoring Commission.

Paul Murphy: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave on 18 November 2003, Official Report, column 774W.

Plastic Baton Rounds

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many and what percentage of plastic baton rounds ordered by the outgoing Northern Ireland Police Authority in November 2001 have (a) been delivered and (b) passed their active shelf life.

Paul Murphy: The Chief Constable has advised me that no baton rounds were ordered on behalf of the Police Service of Northern Ireland during November 2001.

Prescription Fraud

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what action he has taken to tackle prescription fraud in the NHS in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Smith: The Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety, together with the Health Boards and the Central Services Agency, has been making considerable efforts to reduce losses through patient exemption fraud.
	The key actions taken to date include:
	The establishment of a dedicated Counter Fraud Unit to co-ordinate work to tackle prescription fraud;
	The introduction for pharmacists of point of dispensing/treatment checks to confirm exemption from charges;
	The introduction of a Fixed Penalty Charge Scheme for those who make false claims for free prescriptions. There have been some 500 charges imposed this year.
	In sustaining efforts to further reduce patient exemption fraud it is planned to take the following actions:
	The implementation of the criminal charge element of the Fixed Penalty Charge regulations. This will provide for a fine, upon conviction, of up to £2,500 for those who have been found to be persistently misclaiming exemption from health service charges; and
	Renewed publicity early in the new year regarding the Fixed Penalty Charge Scheme and the various categories of exemption that apply across the Family Health Services.
	The indications are that the measures introduced over the last few years have contributed to reducing the losses by some £6 million per annum. While this reflects significant progress, we will continue to work for further improvements to ensure that these funds are not denied to the health service.

School Transport Bill

David Burnside: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to introduce changes in home-to-school transport in Northern Ireland in line with proposals in the School Transport Bill in Great Britain.

Jane Kennedy: I have no plans at present to introduce changes in home-to-school transport in Northern Ireland in line with proposals in the School Transport Bill in Great Britain.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Child Support Agency

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether a lone parent in receipt of income support who receives a lump sum payment of arrears of child maintenance owing to delays in processing by the Child Support Agency will be able to carry forward unused amounts of child maintenance premium to set against the maintenance received.

Chris Pond: Under the new child support scheme child maintenance premium is attributed to the same period as the payment of maintenance. Thus, if a non-resident parent pays £120 in child support, representing six weeks' liability of £20 per week, the child maintenance premium will be £60 (£10 x 6).

Health and Safety

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what representations he has received from the Health and Safety Commission about whether public sector sickness and absence should be a priority area; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: The Department has received representations from the Health and Safety Commission (HSC) on rolling out a programme of work addressed at improving health and safety performance in the public sector. We have agreed with them that this will become one of HSC's priority programmes.
	A major element of HSC's "Government Setting an Example" programme will be supporting public sector organisations to reduce work related sickness absence through the development and dissemination of exemplary good practice in managing risks to occupational health, in particular musculo-skeletal disorders and stress.
	The most recent analysis of sickness absence in the Civil Service for 2002 reports that mental illness and musculo-skeletal disorders are a major contributor to absence. HSE's stress management standards pilot includes organisations in the public sector. The pilot will end in Autumn 2003 and evaluation will continue until 2004.

Health and Safety

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what progress has been made in addressing the health and safety needs of small and medium sized enterprises in the past 12 months; and if he will make a statement on the funding of further measures.

Des Browne: During the last year, the Health and Safety Commission (HSC) has taken a number of extra steps. This year the Commission reappointed a Commissioner specifically to represent small businesses.
	It also piloted a grant scheme, providing matched funding for training and mentoring for micro businesses. The scheme finishes in December 2003, with an evaluation report expected early in 2004. HSC will evaluate the results of this scheme, comparing it with other initiatives, before making any recommendations about extending initiatives in the future.
	The Health and Safety Commission (HSC) promoted new ways to promote positive models of health and safety through the use of new technology with well-tried methods, eg a CD Rom containing case studies and an electronic benchmark questionnaire. Both are supported by a managed visit programme whereby small businesses can learn and experience good practice.

Housing Benefit Subsidy Reform

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to his written statement of 1 December 2003, Official Report, column 49WS, on housing benefit subsidy reform, how the new subsidy system for housing benefit and council tax benefit will be implemented, with particular reference to transitional relief; and what the arrangements will be for payment of the administration grant.

Chris Pond: The new subsidy system will be introduced on 1 April 2004 to all local authorities in England, Wales and Scotland. All claims relating to the 2004–05 subsidy year will be made under the new rates and rules. We issued a subsidy Circular (S9/2003) to authorities on 1 December to explain all the detailed changes; a copy of this circular is available in the Library.
	Although the overall levels of funding under the new system will be cost neutral compared to the old system, we recognise that individual authorities may gain or lose under the new arrangements. A transitional protection scheme has therefore been put in place. At the end of 2004–05 subsidy claims from each local authority will be compared with the amounts of subsidy they would have received had they claimed under the subsidy rules in place in 2003–04. The scheme will ensure that in the first year no authority will lose more than 1 per cent. of the funding which they would have received had the rates not changed.
	Details of individual allocations to authorities of administration grant for 2004–05 will be issued in a circular by the end of the month. The administration grant will be paid to authorities in 12 monthly instalments from April 2004.

New Deal for Disabled People

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will publish statistics for New Deal for Disabled People job broker programmes regularly on the internet.

Des Browne: New Deal for Disabled People statistics are currently published quarterly on the New Deal website. The latest figures are available at: www.newdeal.gov.uk/documents/disabled/performancelatest.doc

Pension Credit

Patrick McLoughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners he estimates have yet to apply through the Pension Credit scheme in (a) West Derbyshire, (b) the East Midlands and (c) the UK; and what efforts are being made to simplify the Pension Credit process to make it easier for pensioners to claim their entitlement.

Malcolm Wicks: The information is not available in the form requested, but we estimate that around 300,000 pensioner households in the East Midlands region and around 3.8 million pensioner households in Great Britain are eligible for Pension Credit. The table gives the numbers of pensioner households and individuals in West Derbyshire, the East Midlands and Great Britain receiving Pension Credit at 17 October 2003. The number of pensioner households in Great Britain receiving Pension Credit had increased to approximately 1.97 million by 31 October.
	The application process for Pension Credit has been designed to be straightforward for pensioners and their family and friends, who may apply on their behalf. The Pension Credit application line (0800 99 1234), which is the main method of applying, is working well and has taken over 1.3 million calls (to the end of October) since it became operational on 7 April. The Pension Service is able to offer alternative ways of applying to suit individual circumstances, including a textphone number and a paper application form. We are working closely with partner organisations to ensure that they can obtain paper application forms, through the Pension Service's local service, for those who want them. The local service can also arrange to see pensioners face-to-face either in a local surgery or, where appropriate, in the pensioner's home.
	We continue to review and improve the application process in the light of experience.
	
		Pension Credit recipients at 17 October 2003
		
			 Area Pension Credit pensioner households Pension Credit individuals 
		
		
			 West Derbyshire parliamentary constituency 2,185 2,505 
			 East Midlands Government Office Region (GOR) 130,935 155,725 
			 Great Britain 1,902,715 2,247,605 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Figures in the table have been rounded to the nearest five.
	2. The parliamentary constituency and the GOR are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant ONS postcode directory.
	Source:
	IAD Information Centre, Generalised Matching Service, 100 per cent. sample.

Pensions

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in what way the size of the lump sum available to an individual at age 70 to those who defer drawing their retirement pension will relate to the weekly retirement pension entitlement at age 65 of that individual.

Malcolm Wicks: We intend that the lump sum will comprise the total of the state pension given up during the period of deferment, plus a rate of return. Further details will be available when the Pensions Bill is published.

Research

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list the research conducted by his Department comparing a New Deal 25 plus unit of delivery and an Employment Zone in terms of (a) outcomes, (b) costs and (c) other factors; if he will place the findings in the Library; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: As with all our welfare to work programmes, Employment Zones are subject to extensive evaluation. The following reports have been published and placed in the Library: Working Age Evaluation Report 124—a qualitative study of Zone operations, published in July 2002; Working Age Evaluation Report 139—a qualitative study of Employment Zone and New Deal 25 Plus Personal Advisers, published in August 2002; Working Age Report 175—an economic study on the wider labour market impact of Employment Zones, and Working Age Report 176—a cohort study comparing characteristics and outcomes of Employment Zone participants with those of similar long-term unemployed clients published on 28 November 2003.
	Report No. 176 compares the outcomes of Employment Zone and New Deal 25 Plus. However, this study does not provide us with a national evaluation of New Deal 25 Plus, but compares Employment Zone outcomes with New Deal 25 Plus outcomes in disadvantaged areas which are similar to the Employment Zone areas.
	We keep all our programmes under on-going review to ensure they provide the most effective approach to helping long-term unemployed people into work.

Shell Brent Bravo

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to set up an inquiry into the deaths on the Shell Brent Bravo rig on 11 September.

Des Browne: A rigorous and detailed investigation into the two deaths on the Brent Bravo offshore installation on 11 September 2003 is already under way by both the Police and the Health and Safety Executive. The Health and Safety Executive will send their report to the Procurator Fiscal before the end of 2003. The Police will independently report to the Procurator Fiscal. Decisions on legal proceedings and Fatal Accident Inquiries are a matter for the Crown. The Health and Safety Commission does not consider it appropriate to seek the Secretary of State's consent for a public inquiry in addition to the investigations in progress.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Sellers' Packs

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister in relation to the proposed seller's packs what the Government's estimate is of the (a) average cost, (b) number of properties that will be involved, (c) total cost, (d) number of surveyors required, (e) number of transactions accelerated and (f) number of transactions that would otherwise be aborted in a calendar year.

Keith Hill: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister estimates that:
	(a) The average cost would be £365 at current prices: made up of £300 for a home condition report and energy survey; £200 for local searches; £10 for office copy entries; and legal fees of £125 for pack assembly.
	(b) The proposals would affect around 1.8 million homes put on the market each year. The total cost would be £1.14 billion. Most of this cost is already incurred under the current arrangements, although a majority of these are currently borne by the buyer rather than the seller.
	(c) Between 7,500 and 8,500 surveyors will be needed altogether, to be met from surveyors already in place and others to be recruited and trained before implementation.
	(d) The provision of vital information at the beginning of the process should ensure that almost all transactions will be accelerated.
	(e) and (f) A reduction in the failure rate 10 per cent. is achievable thus avoiding over 380,000 aborted transactions per year. Our research suggests that over 580,000 transactions fail between offer acceptance and exchange of contracts (almost 30 per cent. of the total).

Tenancy Deposit Scheme

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of (a) the estimated total number of disputes requiring adjudication under a tenancy deposit scheme and (b) the estimated costs of those procedures.

Keith Hill: The estimated maximum number of disputes is 127,000 per year. Extrapolating from jurisdications which have compulsory deposit schemes, the figure is 19,000 per year. On the second part of the question, I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on 8 December, Official Report, column 350W.

Tenancy Deposit Scheme

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what his latest estimate is of (a) the rate of alleged unreasonable withholding of deposits by landlords or agencies and (b) the cost of their retrieval.

Keith Hill: On the first part of the question, I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Gower (Mr. Caton) on 10 November, Official Report, column 164W.
	On the second part of the question, I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on 8 December 2003, Official Report, column 350W.

Transitional Protection Scheme

Dennis Turner: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  what assumptions will be made in the operation of the transitional protection scheme concerning the use of the option of housing authorities to apply to his Department for a special direction to transfer any amount of the 2001–02 Housing Revenue Account to the General Fund;
	(2)  whether he plans to consult on the possible ways in which the transitional protection scheme will operate;
	(3)  if he will provide before 1 January 2004 exemplifications of the impact of the Transitional Protection Scheme at an individual local authority level based on the latest available audited data on interim grant claims for 2003–04.

Keith Hill: Following publication of the rules of the scheme, authorities would have to write in to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister specifying how much they wished to transfer between the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) and General Fund in 2004–05. So long as this amount fell within the maximum amount permissible to them under the rules of the scheme, a direction would be issued to that effect. An authority would be able to apply for a direction for 2004–05 at any time before the accounts for that year were closed.
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is consulting at present on proposals for the transitional protection scheme. Details of the proposed maximum amount transferable based on the audited figures for 2001–02 have been provided at an individual authority level with the current consultation on the draft HRA Subsidy Determination 2004–05. The closing date for consultation is 16 December 2003. The Office intends to issue the final rules of the scheme, including confirmed maximum amounts transferable by each authority in 2004–05, before 1 January 2004.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Afghanistan

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the extent of the areas which are under Taliban or Jihadist control in Afghanistan.

Mike O'Brien: Although scattered elements of Al Qa'ida and the Taliban remain in Afghanistan and continue to mount attacks against international and Afghan targets, the perpetrators cannot be said to control the areas in which they operate. Many attacks are carried out by insurgents who cross between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Others are mounted on a hit-and-run basis by groups within Afghanistan. Extremists are undoubtedly attempting to establish bases from which to operate. But successful military operations conducted by the Coalition and units of the Afghan National Army are preventing them from doing so. Apparent isolated instances of low-level control generally amount to no more than evidence of Taliban intimidation of local communities.

Burma

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much (a) heroin and (b) methamphetamine he predicts will be produced by Burma this year; and how much he estimates will reach the UK.

Bill Rammell: The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) estimated that 81,400 hectares of land were utilised for opium production in Burma in 2002. The UNODC figures for 2003 are not yet confirmed and initial indications suggest that they may show little overall change from 2002.
	Burma is believed by UNODC to be one of the largest producers of methamphetamines in the world.
	Despite Burma being a major producer of heroin and methamphetamines, there is no evidence that either of these substances is trafficked to the UK in significant quantities from Burma.

Burma

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the involvement of the Burmese Junta in (a) heroin and (b) methamphetamine production and export, with particular reference to the new factory 15 miles west of Maeken.

Bill Rammell: There are reports that some production and trafficking of opium from Burma is carried out with the knowledge of the Burmese authorities. The Burmese authorities' overall response to the continued production and export of heroin and methamphetamines has been limited. According to figures from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Burma is the world's second largest source of heroin and one of the largest sources of methamphetamines.
	I have no specific information relating to a methamphetamine production facility near Maeken, although I am aware that UNODC reports indicate that such facilities exist in Burma.

Central Asian Drugs Action Plan

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Central Asian Drugs Action Plan since it was signed; how much the UK has contributed to it; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: We welcome and support the aims of the European Union's action plan to help tackle the issue of drugs in central Asia. The plan covers Kazakstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Ukbekistan and should also be seen in the context of significant UK and EU action in Afghanistan, which is the main source country for heroin trafficked through central Asia. The UK does not directly fund the action plan. However we provide bilateral assistance to countries in the region which supports the plan's overall aims and objectives.

Colombia

Clare Short: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the UK ambassador to Colombia supported the President of Colombia's claim that human rights NGOs were supporters of terrorists.

Bill Rammell: Our ambassador and I have repeatedly expressed our concerns to the Colombian Government about blanket condemnation of Human Rights groups and made clear that if there are credible allegations of inappropriate conduct by certain groups they should be investigated by judicial process.

Human Rights (Syria and Iran)

Greg Pope: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what talks he has had with his counterparts in (a) Syria and (b) Iran regarding human rights in those countries.

Bill Rammell: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary makes a point of raising our grave concerns about both countries' human rights record whenever he is able to. In 2003 he has done so with his Iranian counterpart on 6 February, 29 June and 24 September. He has not met the Syrian Foreign Minister this year. But we regularly raise human rights concerns with Syria, both bilaterally and in conjunction with EU partners. I spoke of Syria's human rights failings in a Syria adjournment debate on 2 July and my hon. Friend the Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Mr. Mike O'Brien) raised the issue with President Bashar al-Assad during his visit to Damascus on 5 March.

Iraq

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many families of the Iraq Governing Council were living in Iraq before the Allied invasion this year; and how many are living in Iraq.

Bill Rammell: A number of families of Iraqi Governing Council members were living in Iraq prior to military action, and others returned when hostilities ceased. This number changes as the families come and go.

Iraq

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the contracts which the Office of the Iraq Programme reported in November 2002 had been approved but for which no funds were available due to political disagreements between the governments of the US and UK and the then government of Iraq; what these contracts were for; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: Gaps in funding for approved contracts were due to insufficient revenues from Iraqi oil exports, exacerbated by the former regime's unilateral decision on several occasions to halt exports. These contracts covered a range of sectors. The UN regularly urged the Iraqi Government to prioritise its requirements and ensure that minimal funds required to fund priority sector contracts were available, but the former regime refused to do so. Instead, Saddam Hussein continued to abuse the Oil For Food Programme, ordering many non essential goods, such as equipment for a new Olympic sports stadium.

Iraq

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether it is his policy that NATO should have a role in Iraq; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: NATO currently provides limited support to the Polish-led Multi-National Division in south central Iraq. We do not envisage NATO taking on a major role in Iraq in the short term, although we do not rule out further involvement at some stage.

Iraq

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps Coalition forces are taking to deal with shortages of medicine in Iraq; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: Coalition forces are not responsible for the distribution of medicines in Iraq, but assist where appropriate. The public health system was left an empty shell by the former regime, but since May the Iraqi Ministry of Health has estimated that 15,000 tons of pharmaceuticals and medical supplies have been delivered. New drug supply systems are not yet fully operational. Until the supply accounting and reporting systems are in place, some difficulties will continue to occur.
	Work is under way in the Iraqi Ministry of Health to develop a national drug formulary. This will form the baseline for future purchases throughout the country and will improve the sourcing of drugs. The Iraqi Ministry of Health, the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) and the World Health Organisation are also furthering a complete review of missing drugs and supplies. This is scheduled to finish in three months.
	These initiatives provide the best and only ways to ensure that full medical supplies are getting through to the Iraqi people and we will continue to support them.

Iraq

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps Coalition forces are taking to deal with waste water being pumped untreated into rivers in Iraq; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: The Coalition has carried out emergency repair and rehabilitation work on several waste water treatment works in Iraq. Coalition partners have also partly funded UNICEF's environmental and sanitation programme in Iraq, with the UK's Department for International Development (DFID) contributing £6,835,187. DFID has also given £16,500,000 to the Red Cross movement, whose work includes water and sanitation activities.
	We understand that a request to the US Congress for $675 million specifically for waster water treatment has been successful and will be invested (by the Coalition's Programme Management Office) over the next two years.

Iraq

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the Government's estimate is of the numbers of Muslims killed directly or indirectly by Saddam Hussein since 1979, based on additional information discovered since 1 May.

Bill Rammell: From 1979 Saddam Hussein's regime was involved either directly, or indirectly in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people, the large majority of whom were Muslims. These deaths occurred during conflicts with neighbouring countries and through internal repression. Since 1 May, a large quantity of documentation has been found in Iraq relating to killings and persecution by the former regime. We are working with Iraqi Ministries and other organisations to analyse this documentation. Until this work is complete, a final figure will not be known.

Iraq

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many mass graves have been discovered in Iraq since 1 May; and what estimate he has made of the number of people buried in each of those graves.

Bill Rammell: Since 1 May, some 270 mass graves have been reported to the Coalition Provisional Authority, with more sites still being discovered. Of these, about one third have been assessed so far, with one third of these confirmed as mass graves. The UK has seconded a forensic team to the CPA to co-ordinate and prioritise forensic work. From documentary and physical evidence found so far, it is estimated that around 300,000 people may be buried in mass graves in Iraq, although the true number will not be known until full investigations have been completed.

Iraq

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what evidence of torture and killing of Iraqi citizens under the regime of Saddam Hussein have been discovered in Iraq since 1 May.

Bill Rammell: Since 1 May, both physical and documentary evidence has been found which details the torture and killing of Iraqi citizens under Saddam Hussein's regime, including systematic abuse in police stations and prisons. UK secondees in the Coalition Provisional Authority Office of Human Rights and Transitional Justice are helping to analyse documentary evidence and take personal testimonies of human rights abuses by the former regime.

Kuwait

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what negotiations he is having with Kuwait over the future operation of border crossings at Safwan.

Bill Rammell: The UK is not currently engaged in direct negotiations with Kuwait about the Safwan border crossing. Nevertheless, there is a continued dialogue between the Coalition and Kuwait on ways to reduce delays in border crossings. We are awaiting Kuwaiti reaction to a draft Memorandum of Understanding prepared by the US Army in consultation with the Headquarters of Multi-National Division (South East). The MOU aims to ensure the smooth flow of traffic across the border while meeting Kuwaiti requirements for adequate security measures.

Middle East

Anne Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for what reasons the Government abstained in the vote on 16 September on Syria's draft resolution that Israel desist from any act of deportation and cease any threat to the safety of the elected president of the Palestinian Authority.

Bill Rammell: The draft resolution before the UN Security Council on 16 September did not recognise both parties' obligations under the roadmap. It could have been detrimental, had it been adopted, to the implementation of the roadmap. As our Permanent Representative to the UN said at the time, we regret that the Security Council was unable to pass a balanced resolution. But the resolution's sponsors would not accommodate UK amendments intended to achieve a better balance, and the UK therefore abstained. A resolution on the situation of President Arafat was subsequently put to an Emergency Special Session of the UN General Assembly. European Union proposals for a more balanced text were then accepted and the UK, with our EU Partners, voted for the resolution.
	My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has made clear the Government's view that expelling or harming President Arafat would be wrong and counterproductive. Israel should not allow its justified anger at the continuing violence to lead to actions that would undermine both the peace process and its own interests.

Olympic Bid

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to ensure that Ministers representing the United Kingdom abroad are adequately briefed on the London 2012 Olympic bid.

Bill Rammell: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to him by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on 3 December 2003, Official Report, column 64–65W. As she has made clear, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office have in place arrangements for overseas missions to alert our Public Diplomacy Policy Department to relevant visits by Ministers so that appropriate briefing on the London 2012 bid can be provided.
	The Foreign and Commonwealth Office are represented on the working group of officials set up to provide advice to London 2012 on the Government interests in the bid and to Ministers on matters relating to the bid, which the Secretary of State also mentioned in her answer.

Timber

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs by what means the policy for purchasing timber and timber products of (a) the Foreign Office and (b) each of its overseas missions, ensures that they are obtained from legal and sustainable sources.

Bill Rammell: Our procurement policy follows the best practice guidance set out by Defra.
	The requirement to purchase only legal and sustainable timber and timber products is laid down in the FCO's purchasing manual, which applies to all staff and contractors procuring such materials on behalf of FCO and to those making major purchases on behalf of overseas missions.
	We also mandate the use of the Defra model contract clause on timber source verification in applicable contracts. This is designed to ensure that only timber or timber products from legal and sustainable sources is supplied.
	We are considering the practicalities of extending this policy to cover minor building works and furniture purchase which our overseas missions fund from their devolved budgets.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Big Conversation

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what visits (a) she and (b) Ministers in her Department (i) have made and (ii) plan to make using public funds in connection with the Big Conversation; how many civil servants accompanied each Minister in respect of such visits; what the cost to public funds was of visits by (A) each Minister and (B) civil servants in connection with the Big Conversation; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him today by my right hon. Friend the Leader of the House.

Art Acquisition

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much her Department has spent on the acquisition of works of art in each year since 1997, broken down by amounts spent on (a) paintings and (b) sculpture; what the single most expensive piece of art purchased by her Department since 1997 has been; how much it cost; and what the total revenue raised by her Department through sales of its works of art has been since 1997.

Estelle Morris: In the seven financial years since 2 May 1997 the Government Art Collection has spent a total of £679,657 from its Programme Vote on the purchase of paintings and sculpture. This breaks down as follows:
	
		£
		
			 Financial year Paintings Sculpture 
		
		
			 2 May 1997 to 1998 72,919 15,800 
			 1998–99 61,594 8,460 
			 1999–2000 84,879 38,588 
			 2000–01 43,269 12,866 
			 2001–02 73,922 9,488 
			 2002–03 111,564 68,444 
			 2003 to 2 December 2003 77,732 132 
		
	
	The single most expensive work of art cost £63,450; for security purposes it is not possible to give the details of this item.
	The Government Art Collection has sold no works of art from its holdings since May 1997.

Digital Satellite Television

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what action she is taking to encourage BBC, ITV and Channel 4 to broadcast their audio-described programmes on digital satellite as soon as possible.

Estelle Morris: I understand there are still technical and commercial issues to be solved by broadcasters, manufacturers and platform operators before the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 audio-described programmes are available on satellite. But DCMS officials are working within the Digital Television Action Plan to ensure that audio-description can be received on all platforms.

Fair Trade Products

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether it is the policy of her Department to use fair trade products, as a matter of course, in (a) sales on Departmental premises and (b) receptions and meetings involving staff and visitors.

Richard Caborn: DCMS has a catering contract for staff restaurant facilities and hospitality. While the contractors are encouraged to use Fair Trade products the extent to which they are sold is dependent on the commercial success of so doing. Where Fair Trade products have been accepted by the customers as representing good quality and value for money, they continue to be sold. When renewing the contract in the spring of 2004 DCMS will stipulate that Fair Trade goods should be an option wherever possible.

Flying Scotsman

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations she has received about the possible sale by Flying Scotsman plc of the Flying Scotsman locomotive.

Estelle Morris: In addition to the letter I have received from the hon. Member for the Vale of York, I have received one other letter about the possible sale of the Flying Scotsman locomotive.

Flying Scotsman

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will (a) declare the Flying Scotsman as an historic item of national importance and (b) take steps to prevent the sale abroad of the Flying Scotsman.

Estelle Morris: An historic train can only be listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 if it can be demonstrated that it has a longstanding permanent home. Moveable objects cannot be added to the list. With regard to a potential sale, I have no locus to intervene in the sale of private property, but if sold to an overseas purchaser the locomotive would of course be subject to the normal export licensing procedures.

National Lottery

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the total spending on the National Lottery was in each Northern Ireland constituency in each of the past five years; and what proportion of this money was allocated to good causes in Northern Ireland.

Estelle Morris: Information on total National Lottery sales is not available by constituency. The available information about National Lottery sales by postcode area is set out in a table placed in the Library, in response to a question from the hon. Member for Edinburgh, West (John Barrett).
	The information needs to be interpreted with care, since it is dependent on a number of factors, including the Post Office's updating of postcode information on a quarterly basis. The table shows total sales since the lottery started, including year to date sales up to the end of September 2003. The data has been extracted from Camelot's sales database and will not directly reconcile to Camelot's financial reporting.
	It is worth noting that the funds that the National Lottery generates for the good causes are shared between 15 distributing bodies—some of which are UK-wide, while others operate only in one of the four home counties—in fixed proportions. There is no necessary correlation between the way in which the proceeds are divided between the 15 distributing bodies, or the way in which grants are allocated by each of the distributors, and the level of ticket sales generated in particular areas. The address of a lottery grant recipient is not necessarily a reliable guide to the area or region which is benefiting from the expenditure (for example, London-based organisations often receive lottery grants but spend the money elsewhere).
	Information on the value of grants awarded is not available as a proportion of sales. The following table shows the amount of money awarded to good causes in Northern Ireland in each of the past five calendar years. This is derived from the Department's Awards Database, which is based on information supplied by the distributing bodies.
	
		Amount of money awarded to good causes in Northern Ireland in each of the past five calendar years -- £
		
			  Amount 
		
		
			 1998–99 42,069,683 
			 1999–2000 66,137,769 
			 2000–01 32,330,494 
			 2001–02 56,012,802 
			 2002–03 42,560,640

Timber

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport by what means the policy for purchasing timber and timber products of (a) the Department and (b) the Royal Parks Agency ensures that they are obtained from legal and sustainable sources.

Richard Caborn: DCMS and the Royal Parks Agency have sustainability as a major consideration in all procurement. Contracts for the supply of timber or timber products specify the need for Forest Stewardship Council or equivalent certification. Recent purchases of timber desks at DCMS had full Forest Stewardship Council certification and World Wildlife Fund accreditation.

Trafalgar Square

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport who owns Trafalgar Square.

Richard Caborn: Trafalgar Square is land owned by The Queen in Right of the Crown. It is managed by the Greater London Authority under section 383 of the Greater London Authority Act 1999. Westminster City Council owns the roads around Trafalgar Square including the pedestrianised area of the North Terrace.

TRANSPORT

London Congestion Charge

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the total direct cost to UK businesses of the London congestion charge since its introduction.

Tony McNulty: We are following the scheme's progress with interest. However, it is the responsibility of the Mayor and Transport for London (TfL) to monitor the scheme's effects, including its impact on business and the economy. TfL's spring 2004 congestion charging annual report will report the full impacts of the scheme and we shall study this carefully.

A419

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what accidents have taken place in the last 10 years on the A419 between (a) Cirencester and Swindon and (b) Cirencester and Nettleton Bottom due to cross-over accidents; and what plans he has to review the types of central reservation.

David Jamieson: I have asked the chief executive of the Highways Agency, Mr. Archie Robertson, to write to the hon. Member.
	Letter from Archie Robertson to Mr. Geoffrey Clifton-Brown dated 9 December 2003
	I have been asked by David Jamieson to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about cross-over accidents on the A419 between Cirencester and Swindon and Cirencester and Nettleton Bottom.
	On the A419 between Cirencester and Swindon, three cross-over accidents occurred between April 1996 and September 2003. There were no such accidents on the Cirencester to Nettleton Bottom section of the road during the same period.
	One of these accidents was on a section of road which, due to design constraints, is without central reserve safety fencing. An improvement to the route at this location is included in the Government's Targeted Programme of Improvements. A second accident occurred on the section of the road through Cricklade where, at the time of the accident, there was no safety fencing in place. However, the Agency has recently completed an improvement scheme which included the provision of safety fencing at this location. The third, and most recent accident occurred at a location with safety fencing. We are investigating and reviewing the causes.

Airports

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what public consultations are planned within the next two years on further airport construction and expansion in the UK.

Kim Howells: Following our consultation on the Future Development of Air Transport in the UK, we will shortly be publishing a White Paper setting out our conclusions and our proposals.

Airports

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the Government's policy is on ring-fencing landing slots at major London airports for the exclusive use for (a) Liverpool John Lennon Airport services and (b) other regional services; and what plans he has to review this policy.

Tony McNulty: The issue of access to London airports for regional services will be addressed in the air transport White Paper.

Blue Badges

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what plans he has to change the system for issuing blue badges for disabled drivers;
	(2)  whether he has any plans to reform the powers of inspection over disabled blue badges to police.

Tony McNulty: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 1 December 2003, Official Report, column 4W, on the plans to change the Blue Badge Scheme.
	With regard to powers of inspection, we are committed to introducing a specific power for the police, traffic wardens and local authority parking enforcement officers to inspect badges. We are also looking at the feasibility of establishing a national database of badge holders; the introduction of smartcard technology; increasing penalties for abuse and misuse of the Scheme.
	The power to inspect, and a number of other measures, will need to be introduced through primary legislation and we are looking for a suitable legislative opportunity to do so. Meanwhile, we are already working on the changes that require secondary legislation, taking forward a number of research projects and drafting new guidance for local authorities to accompany the changes. We aim to implement the changes at the earliest opportunity.

Civil Servants (Disabled Staff)

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many senior civil servants in his Department are disabled staff expressed (a) in actual terms and (b) as a percentage of whole-time equivalent.

Tony McNulty: There are no senior civil servants in the Department for Transport who have declared a disability to the Department.

Consultation

Brian Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of regulations introduced by the Department have been subject to a consultation period of less than 12 weeks since the introduction of the Code of Practice on Consultations.

Tony McNulty: There is not always a direct correlation between government consultations and individual regulations. For example, there would not be a consultation prior to certain statutory instruments introducing temporary local speed limits.
	The Cabinet Office Code of Practice on Written Consultation came into effect on 1 January 2001. The Department for Transport was established on 29 May 2002.
	In the period from 29 May 2002 to 31 December 2002 the Department published 28 consultations under the Code, of which one was less than 12 weeks.
	These figures do not include consultations that were carried out by the Department's Executive Agencies.
	A full list of consultations on transport issues that have taken place from May 2002 (as DfT) and from before (as DTLR) can be found on the Department's website www.dft.gov.uk.

Crash Barriers

Andrew MacKay: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many times (a) steel barrier systems and (b) concrete barrier systems on trunk roads and motorways were breached in the latest year for which he has figures.

Kim Howells: Information on the number of times (a) steel barrier systems and (b) concrete barrier systems on trunk road and motorways in England have been breached is not available.
	The standard recording procedure for injury accidents does not record detail of the type of barrier hit. No data is available for non-injury accidents.
	The Highways Agency is not aware of any breaches of concrete barrier on trunk roads or motorways in England. However, this may be influenced by the relatively small proportion of this type of barrier on the network.

Crash Barriers

Andrew MacKay: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what account is taken of whole-life maintenance costs in the procurement process for barrier systems used on motorways and trunk roads.

Kim Howells: The Highways Agency requires its Agents to take account of whole-life costs as part of the scheme and programme development process for motorway and trunk roads in England. However, the procurement process for barrier systems on motorways and trunk roads in England does not currently take explicit account of whole-life maintenance costs.
	The Highways Agency is looking to address this through a current research project considering the performance characteristics of different barrier types, as well as the whole life construction, maintenance, repair and replacement costs, including traffic delay costs and safety risks to operatives carrying out the work. This research is expected to be completed in early 2004 and will help in the understanding of the key factors to be taken into account in the procurement process.

Crash Barriers

Andrew MacKay: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what account is taken of (a) congestion costs and (b) the potential danger to the workforce during repairs to barrier systems when bids for barrier contracts are at tender stage.

Kim Howells: The Highways Agency's tender assessment process for barrier systems does not currently take formal account of congestion costs or the potential danger to the workforce during repairs to barrier systems when evaluating bids for barrier contracts at tender stage.
	The Highways Agency is looking to address this through a current research project considering the performance characteristics of different barrier types, as well as the whole life construction, maintenance, repair and replacement costs, including traffic delay costs and safety risks to operatives carrying out the work. This research is expected to be completed in early 2004 and will help in the understanding of the key factors to be taken into account in the bid evaluation process.

Crash Barriers

Andrew MacKay: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to review the type of barrier systems in use on (a) motorways and (b) trunk roads in England and Wales.

Kim Howells: Since the 1960s, the former Department of Transport, and more recently the Highways Agency, have spent significant amounts developing barrier systems for use on the UK motorway and trunk road network. Products include tensioned and untensioned steel barrier, wire rope barrier and concrete barrier. Over the years, these systems have been placed on the network in varying amounts. There are now sufficient lengths of these different barrier types on the network to obtain data on their respective in-service performance levels. This data is currently being collected and used to support research into the whole-life cost and safety-effectiveness of different types of barrier on motorways and trunk roads.
	The research is considering the performance characteristics of different barrier types, as well as the whole life construction, maintenance, repair and replacement costs, including traffic delay costs and safety risks to operatives carrying out the work. This research is expected to be completed in early 2004 and will help in the understanding of the optimum systems for use in different situations on the motorway and trunk road network.

Crash Barriers

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research has been undertaken on the use of barriers to prevent lorries leaving the road in the event of an accident such as that which occurred recently on the A3 through Guildford.

David Jamieson: The Highways Agency has undertaken detailed research into the use of barriers and accidents involving single vehicles leaving the nearside of English roads. This has demonstrated that there are no significant shortcomings in the current standard for safety barriers and that the barrier provision strikes the right balance between the risks or errant vehicles leaving the road and the risks of impact with safety barriers themselves.
	Complementary research is currently being undertaken to examine the performance standard requirements for central reserve barriers. It is expected that the results from this research will give a better understanding of the factors and criteria influencing the choice of safety barrier.

Drink-driving

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many car drivers and passengers have died in drink-driving accidents in (a) December and (b) January in (i) England and (ii) each region in each of the last six years.

David Jamieson: The following table shows the numbers of fatally injured car drivers and passengers in an accident that involved at least one driver or rider with a blood alcohol concentration over 80mg/100ml or whose breath test result was positive or who failed to provide a breath test.
	
		Numbers of fatally injured car drivers and passengers
		
			  1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 Total 
		
		
			 December  
			 Northern 1 1 0 3 0 0 5 
			 Yorks/Humberside 4 2 7 5 2 0 20 
			 East Midlands 2 0 2 2 0 2 8 
			 Eastern 2 0 2 3 3 3 13 
			 South East 0 4 4 1 0 4 13 
			 Greater London 0 2 0 1 1 1 5 
			 South West 1 1 2 1 3 1 9 
			 West Midlands 2 1 1 4 5 2 15 
			 North West 2 0 2 1 2 2 9 
			 
			 England 14 11 20 21 16 15 97 
			 
			 January 
			 Northern 1 0 4 1 2 0 8 
			 Yorks/Humberside 0 1 1 0 1 4 7 
			 East Midlands 2 0 2 1 6 8 19 
			 Eastern 0 1 3 2 5 5 16 
			 South East 7 1 3 4 3 2 20 
			 Greater London 0 1 1 2 1 0 5 
			 South West 2 0 3 0 2 1 8 
			 West Midlands 0 3 5 2 7 2 19 
			 North West 7 1 3 1 3 1 16 
			 
			 England 19 8 25 13 30 23 118

Identity Cards

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the implications of the introduction of compulsory identity cards for his Department.

David Jamieson: My Department is continuing to discuss with the Home Office and others the programme of work announced by the Home Secretary on 11 November, including the implications for driving licences.

Invalid Tricycles

Andrew Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to amend section 20 of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970 and the Use of Invalid Carriages on Highways Regulations 1988 to allow a mechanically propelled invalid tricycle which is capable in other circumstances of travelling at more than eight miles per hour to be used on public footways at a speed of less than eight miles per hour.

Tony McNulty: "Invalid Carriages" as they are known in law, provide invaluable independent mobility to many disabled and older people. The Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970 permits the use of these vehicles on footways and their maximum permitted speeds are set out in the Use of invalid Carriages on Highways Regulations 1988. These vehicles must not travel faster than 4mph on footways and must be incapable of exceeding 8mph on the level under its own power on carriageways. These speed limits are fixed with the safety both of the users of these vehicles and of other road users and pedestrians in mind.
	We are currently conducting a comprehensive review of the legislation beginning with a research study to establish basic facts about current usage and to canvass views of users and other key stakeholders. Subject to the outcome of this investigation we will be considering what changes may need to be made to current legislation governing the construction and use of these vehicles on the highway. The question of speed limits will be included in this review.

Ports

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps the Government are taking to comply with the International Ship and Port Facility Code; how many ships and ports have reached the required standard; and what estimate he has made of the date by which the UK will have met these obligations.

David Jamieson: The Department for Transport's Transport Security Directorate (TRANSEC) is carrying out a programme of assessments of all the UK ports which fall within the scope of the IMO International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code, leading to the approval of Port Facility Security Plans and implementation of security measures. TRANSEC is also approving Ship Security Plans (SSPs) and issuing International Ship Security Certificates (ISSCs) for UK flagged cruise ships and ferries. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency is approving SSPs and issuing ISSCs for the UK flagged cargo fleet.
	The Government expect that all UK ports and UK flagged ships will comply with the required ISPS standards by the deadline date of 1 July 2004.

Railways (Litter)

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what recent discussions he has had with (a) Network Rail and (b) train operating companies on the collection of litter;
	(2)  what standards apply to the levels of cleanliness in and around rail stations; and what fines can be levied for failure to maintain railway premises free of litter.

Tony McNulty: No recent discussions have taken place over the collection of litter at stations. It is a condition of station access agreements between the train operating companies and Network Rail, that the station and any adjoining road frontage be kept free from refuse, and in a clean and tidy condition.
	Section 91 and 92 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 confers powers on councils and magistrates courts to enforce the duty to clear litter from railway land. Where litter abatement orders or notices are not complied with, those responsible would be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a maximum Level 4 fine.

Re-signalling Project (Dorset)

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the safety aspects of the Dorset re-signalling project.

Alistair Darling: None. I understand that the project was approved following the submission to Her Majesty's Railway Inspectorate (HMRI) by Network Rail of a rigorous safety case. This document demonstrated compliance to Network Rail's Railway Safety Case and safety management systems. The scheme also followed the rail industry internal approval process, which included the appointment of an independent safety assessor. Network Rail and HMRI have conducted regular reviews throughout the project.

Re-signalling Project (Dorset)

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects the Dorset re-signalling project to be completed; and if he will make a statement on the timetable of the project from tendering to completion.

Alistair Darling: Network Rail advises that the project will be commissioned during the week ending 14 December 2003. The timetable from the tendering process to completion has been 42 months.

Re-signalling Project (Dorset)

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what training has been made available to drivers and signallers to operate the new signal system in the Dorset region; and when that training will be complete.

Alistair Darling: Network Rail advises that it has completed training for all signalling staff required to operate the new signalling system including its associated radio systems. Nework Rail has provided training packs which include route learning videos, to enable driver training to be carried out by the train companies who operate along this section of railway—English Welsh and Scottish Railway, South West Trains and Virgin Trains. They have indicated that this training will be complete prior to project commissioning.

Re-signalling Project (Dorset)

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which parties were involved in the decision to go ahead with the Dorset re-signalling project; when the decision was taken; and what information was available at the time on the comparative safety of the available signalling systems.

Alistair Darling: Network Rail advises that the Dorset Coast signalling project uses tried and tested technology already in use elsewhere in Europe. The decision to proceed with the project was taken during the early part of 2000 by Railtrack. This followed extensive consultation involving Her Majesty's Railway Inspectorate, signalling suppliers, train operating companies and the then infrastructure maintenance contractor Balfour Beatty Rail Infrastructure Services.
	An assessment was carried out during this time comparing existing systems to the selected system from a safety, performance, reliability and maintenance perspective. The findings of this assessment were satisfactory.

Road Accidents

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people were (a) killed and (b) seriously injured in road accidents in each year since 1997.

David Jamieson: The information requested is shown in the following table.
	
		Fatal and serious road accident casualties: GB 1997–2002
		
			  Fatalities Serious 
		
		
			 1997 3,599 42,984 
			 1998 3,421 40,834 
			 1999 3,423 39,122 
			 2000 3,409 38,155 
			 2001 3,450 37,110 
			 2002 3,431 35,976 
			 Total 20,733 234,181

South Coast Multi-Modal Study

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  in respect of the recommendations relating to rail in the South Coast Multi-Modal Study, how many (a) are being implemented, (b) have been ruled out by the Strategic Rail Authority, (c) have been ruled out by train operating companies and (d) have not yet been subject to decision;
	(2)  in respect of the recommendations relating to roads in the South Coast Multi-Modal Study, how many (a) are being implemented, (b) have been ruled out and (c) have not yet been subject to decision.

Tony McNulty: Our 9 July 2003 response to the South Coast Multi-Modal Study, which was sent to MPs within the South East as part of an announcement package, set out in detail where we have asked for further work to be undertaken by the respective delivery agencies. This includes where we have asked for schemes to be taken forward, where we have asked for schemes to be considered further or where to look at alternatives. Implementation of all schemes included in the announcement is subject to the successful completion of all necessary consultation and statutory procedures.
	The Highway Agency, Local Authorities and the Strategic Rail Authority are taking this work forward in liaison with interested parties.

South Coast Multi-Modal Study

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the total cost was of the South Coast Multi-Modal Study.

Tony McNulty: The total cost of the South Coast Multi-Modal Study (SoCoMMs) including call-off contract is around £1.8 million, excluding VAT.

Speed Cameras

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to his answer of 1 December 2003, Official Report, column 7W, on speed cameras, how many people were (a) killed and (b) seriously injured at the camera sites within the pilot areas.

David Jamieson: Data and analysis are described in the Department's report. Numbers of killed and seriously injured (KSI) casualties are added together for sites in six areas. Sites were phased in so have different numbers of months of data.
	For sites with two years of after data, there were 0.66 KSI casualties per year per site before cameras and 0.36 KSI per year per site afterwards. For sites with one year's data it was 3.83 to 2.02 KSI per site per year.

Train Punctuality

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to monitor reliability and punctuality on train performance into Paddington station, with specific reference to the performance of First Great Western, in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Tony McNulty: The Strategic Rail Authority monitors the performance of all train operating companies and publishes statistics in its quarterly "National Rail Trends" publication, copies of which are placed in the Library of the House. The next edition covering performance to the end of September 2003 will be published later this month. Information is provided for the services of each operator in aggregate, not by specific destination stations.

Transport Projects (St. Helens)

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which projects have been (a) wholly and (b) partly funded by his Department in St. Helens since 1997; when each project was announced; when it started or was expected to start; what funding was provided by (i) Government and (ii) a third party; what third party provided funding; what the target group of the project was; what the projected outcome of the project was; and what the name of the project was.

Tony McNulty: The information is not available in the form requested. The table shows capital expenditure projects in St. Helens since 1992. Maintenance-related projects are too numerous to list here.
	
		
			 Project Financial year started Government funding (£000) Outcomes 
		
		
			 St. Helens Bus Station 1992–93 2,200 Quality Bus Corridor 
			 St. Helens Linkway 1992–93 8,037 Transport Corridor Improvements 
			 Earlestown Station 1993–94 180 Refurbishment 
			 St. Helens Subway Design 1994–95 8 Design for subway to industrial development 
			 IT St. Helens Bus Station 1995–96 132 IT equipment to provide information at bus stations 
			 St. Helens Rail Station 1995–96 38 Refurbishment/upgrade 
			 St. Helens Junction Study 1996–97 114 Study of useage 
			 St. Helens Junction 1998–99 599 Developing major scheme 
			 Lea Green New Station 1997–98 2,293 New Station Construction 
			 St. Helens Corridor Appraisal 1999–2000 73 Assessment of Bus Corridor outcomes 
			 Corridor Q 2001–02 2,188 Smart bus route 
			 Centre 6 2001–02 651 Town centre highway and environmental improvements 
			 Capital Challenge 1998–99 858 Town centre transport improvements 
			 Newton 21 1998–99 93 SRB Environmental Improvements

Transport Projects (St. Helens)

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what central Government expenditure has been allocated by his Department in (a) St. Helens and (b) Merseyside in each year since 1992.

Tony McNulty: The following table shows allocations to St. Helens and across all five Merseyside authority areas since the 1997–98 financial year:
	
		£000
		
			 Financial year Allocations toSt. Helens Allocations to fiveMerseyside authorities 
		
		
			  
			  
			 1997–98 934 8,752 
			 1998–99 1,055 8,134 
			 1999–2000 1,533 11,310 
			 2000–01 2,378 15,618 
			 2001–02 3,890 29,364 
			 2002–03 3,974 32,098 
			 2003–04 4,508 39,501 
		
	
	Comparable information is not available for the period prior to 1997.

Transport Projects (St. Helens)

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the level of government expenditure on (a) rail, (b) bus and (c) road infrastructure was in (i) St. Helens, (ii) Merseyside and (iii) the North West region in each year since 1992.

Tony McNulty: The information is not available in the form requested. During the period 1997–98 to 2005–06, St. Helens are committed to spend a total of £14 million on a range of integrated transport schemes. During the same period the total commitment by all five Merseyside authorities on integrated transport schemes is £126 million. In addition to this, funding has been provided direct to enable Merseytravel to deliver schemes with a total value of £417 million across Merseyside during the same period.

Transport Projects (St. Helens)

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the projects assisted by central Government expenditure which (a) have been started and (b) are expected to start on (i) rail, (ii) bus and (iii) road infrastructure in (A) St. Helens and (B) Merseyside in each year since 1992.

Tony McNulty: The following table shows capital expenditure projects in St. Helens from the 1992–93 financial year onwards:
	
		
			 Project Authorityarea Financialyear started 
		
		
			 St. Helens Bus Station St. Helens 1992–93 
			 St. Helens Linkway St. Helens 1992–93 
			 Earlestown Station St. Helens 1993–94 
			 St. Helens Subway Design St. Helens 1994–95 
			 IT St. Helens Bus Station St. Helens 1995–96 
			 St. Helens Rail Station St. Helens 1995–96 
			 St. Helens Junction Study St. Helens 1996–97 
			 St. Helens Junction St. Helens 1998–99 
			 Lea Green New Station St. Helens 1997–98 
			 St. Helens Corridor Appraisal St. Helens 1999–2000 
			 Corridor Q St. Helens 2001–02 
			 Centre 6 St. Helens 2001–02 
			 Capital Challenge St. Helens 1998–99 
			 Newton 21 St. Helens 1998–99 
		
	
	A total of 336 integrated transport schemes taken forward in Merseyside since 1992; too many to list individually here.

Trunk Roads (Gloucestershire)

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many stretches of new trunk road have been opened in (a) Stroud and (b) Gloucestershire in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

David Jamieson: North facing slip roads were added to M5 Junction 12 in Gloucestershire as part of a full rebuilding of the junction. The work was completed on 27 November 2002.
	There have been no other new stretches of trunk road opened in Stroud or Gloucestershire in the last three years.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Anti-retroviral Drugs (Illegal Trade)

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  what action her Department is taking to combat the illegal trade in anti-retroviral drugs;
	(2)  what estimate she has made of the value of anti-retroviral drugs traded illegally in each of the last five years.

Mike O'Brien: No specific estimate has been made of the value of anti-retroviral drugs traded illegally in the last five years.
	However, with the increased emphasis on trade in differentially priced drugs—including anti-retroviral drugs—to developing countries, it is likely that there will be an increase in the number of attempts made by unscrupulous traders to divert differentially priced drugs from their intended markets in developing countries to markets in developed countries in order to take advantage of the higher prices (and therefore higher profit margins) which can be obtained in markets in developed countries.
	It is important that we address this issue, both in order to ensure that such drugs reach the people in developing countries who need them most and to ensure that diverted drugs do not undermine the market in developed countries which is necessary to allow for further research and development into new drugs.
	The Government have consistently supported suitable measures to combat the diversion of differentially priced drugs. We have supported the introduction of a new EU Regulation intended to combat the diversion of differentially priced drugs; worked with our G8 colleagues to secure commitments to action on this issue at the G8 summit in Evian; and ensured there were suitable provisions addressing the issue of diversion in the recent agreement in the WTO on how countries with insufficient manufacturing capacity in the pharmaceutical sector can make effective use of the compulsory licensing provisions in the WTO TRIPS Agreement.

Art Acquisition

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much her Department has spent on the acquisition of works of art in each year since 1997, broken down by amounts spent on (a) paintings and (b) sculpture; what the single most expensive piece of art purchased by her Department since 1997 has been; how much it cost; and what the total revenue raised by her Department through sales of its works of art has been since 1997.

Patricia Hewitt: There has been no significant expenditure on works of art by the Department since 1997 nor any sales.

Auditing

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  what assessment she has made of the effects of raising the audit exemption threshold to £5.6 million; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what assessment she has made of the impact of raising the audit exemption threshold to £5.6 million on the business environment, with particular reference to (a) standards of business behaviour, (b) quality of financial information available to stakeholders and (c) levels of economic crime.

Patricia Hewitt: The Government estimate that raising the audit exemption threshold has the potential to save small companies around £94 million a year. There are inevitably risks as well as benefits associated with raising the threshold. The Government concluded, following consultation, that these risks are small and are outweighed by the benefits in terms of costs savings and greater flexibility for small businesses. The Government's consultation document on the proposal contained a draft impact assessment discussing the risks and benefits. The consultation document "Raising the Thresholds", which was published on 11 July 2003, is available on the Department's website at http://www.dti.gov.uk/cld/published.htm. A final version of the impact assessment will also be available there in due course.

Big Conversation

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what visits (a) she and (b) Ministers in her Department (i) have made and (ii) plan to make using public funds in connection with the Big Conversation; how many civil servants accompanied each Minister in respect of such visits; what the cost to public funds was of visits by (A) each Minister and (B) civil servants in connection with the Big Conversation; and if she will make a statement.

Patricia Hewitt: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him by my right hon. Friend the Leader of the House today.

Biotechnology

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the availability of long-term sources of finance in the biotechnology industry.

Patricia Hewitt: The Government has taken a number of steps to improve the financial environment for the biotechnology industry. The R&D Tax Credit system, has benefited many bioscience companies. UK-based companies can also take advantage of the DTI's business support products. Four products have been launched to date, all of which may be of use to biotechnology companies:
	Small Firms Loan Guarantee
	Grant for Investigating an Innovative Idea
	Grant for Research and Development
	Knowledge Transfer Partnerships
	The Higher Education Innovation Fund (£187 million over 2004–05 and 2005–06) and Public Sector Research Exploitation Fund (£15 million over 2004–05 and 2005–06) are examples of Government's support for commercialisation of research.
	Commercial funding of the industry through financial markets is essential, however, for its long-term success. Government will normally intervene only in financial markets where it can identify a clear market failure, but where such failures are identified, the track record of intervention is strong. For example the UK High Technology Fund (UKHTF), an element of the £180 million Enterprise Fund was announced in 1998. Other initiatives include the Regional Venture Capital Funds launched on a national basis for England through the Small Business Service in 2002, and funds set up by the Regional Development Agencies and Devolved Administrations to tackle localised market failures.
	The UK has the most liquid capital markets in Europe and the most developed venture capital sector in the world after the USA. Optimism about the long-term prospects for bioscience is starting to return to public markets after a global downturn and good UK biotechnology companies are still receiving venture capital investment. The UK is also home to some of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies, providing long-term finance for biotechnology companies through deals to purchase or license technology.
	The Government is not complacent, however. The DTI and Department of Health prompted the establishment of the Bioscience Innovation and Growth Team, to identify and clarify the issues that are critical to the future competitiveness of the UK biosciences sector. The BIGT report was published in November 2003 and includes recommendations on the flow of seed capital, improvement of public sector technology transfer activity, and the provision of a favourable regulatory and fiscal environment. The Government will examine these recommendations carefully and respond to them all in due course.

Business Start-ups

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many Government schemes, and how much state funding, have assisted business start-ups in 2001 to 2003 (a) in Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, (b) in Teesside and (c) in the United Kingdom.

Jacqui Smith: Advice and support to business start-ups are provided by a range of organisations in the region. This includes DTI's Small Business Service and Business Link Organisations (and the Small Firms Loan Guarantee), ONE NorthEast (the regional development agency), local authorities, universities, community organisations, and Inland Revenue and Customs and Excise. Support for investment projects can be accessed by start-up businesses through DTI's Regional Selective Assistance (administered by ONE NorthEast—the regional development agency) and the Small Business Service's Enterprise Grant. Training and skills support is provided through Business Link Organisations and Local Learning and Skills Councils. Funding comes from a range of sources including central Government, European Structural Funds, and local authorities. It is not possible to identify easily the value of assistance accessed by start-up businesses within the overall totals of advice and support.
	The available statistics for the value of assistance to start-up businesses in the areas requested are as set out.
	The value of Business Link Organisation for Tees Valley's "Start Right in Business" scheme is shown in the following table. This is the closest available match to the geographic analysis requested. There is no national equivalent.
	
		Assistance to start-up businesses -- £
		
			 Period Tees Valley Middlesbrough Redcar and Cleveland 
		
		
			 2001 to date 388,188 113,652 72,324 
		
	
	The Small Business Service's Enterprise Grants (EG) for small and medium sized enterprises, including start-up business give support to capital investment for manufacturing and service to manufacturing companies. The following table shows the values of assistance for all businesses. While a number are known to be start-ups specific information for start-up businesses is not readily available.
	
		Values of assistance for all businesses -- £
		
			  Tees Valley Middlesbrough Southand East Cleveland 
		
		
			 2001 to date 1,635,260 114,250 
		
	
	European Structural Funds are available through the North East of England Objective 2 Programme 2000–06.
	Specific measures within the programme are designed to assist business start-ups.
	1. Measure 1.1—Growing New Businesses and Marrying Entrepreneurs with Ideas. Is funded regionally as follows:
	
		Funding
		
			  £ million 
		
		
			  
			  
			 European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) 26.904 
			 Public Sector Funds (includes other Government funding) 28.783 
			 Private Sector Funding 1.479 
		
	
	The target number of Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to be assisted is 9,973. From 2001 to date grant offered regionally totals £16.476 million and 1,628 SMEs have been assisted, of which 184 (Grant Value £3.968 million) are in Teesside.
	2. Measure 1.2—Providing Access to Finance for Entrepreneurs. Is funded regionally as follows:
	
		Funding
		
			  £ million 
		
		
			  
			  
			 European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) 14.121 
			 Public Sector Funds (includes other Government funding) 8.796 
			 Private Sector Funding 8.553 
		
	
	The target number of SMEs to be assisted is 2,065.
	From 2001 to date grant offered regionally totals £1.616 million and 554 SMEs have been assisted, of which 32 are in Teesside.
	European Social Fund (ESF) funding is also available to assist with the training needs of beneficiaries associated with new SMEs.
	3. Measure 1.4—Entrepreneurial Attitudes and Skills. Is funded regionally as follows:
	
		Funding
		
			  £ million 
		
		
			  
			  
			 European Social Fund (ESF) 9.866 
			 Public Sector Funds (includes other Government funding) 9.866 
			 Private Sector Funding 2.192 
		
	
	From 2001 to date offers worth £1.941 million have been made regionally, with 4,355 people trained, of which 1,611 (Grant Value £0.650 million) are in Teesside.
	Arts Council England North East operates the Cultural Business Venture, providing support to the cultural sector for business expansions including start-ups. Additional funding is provided by ONE NorthEast and European Structural Funds Objective 2 programme. The following figures show the value of assistance offered. There is no national equivalent.
	
		Assistance to start-up businesses
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 Period 2001 to date 
			 Tees Valley 388,188 
			 Middlesbrough 113,652 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 72,324

Canada Lottery

Brian H Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action the Government are taking to protect people from being defrauded by people purporting to represent the Canadian Lottery.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) launched a consumer awareness campaign on 3 December in response to the increase in telephone marketing scams originating from Canada.
	The OFT is working closely with the Canadian authorities to ensure prompt and effective action is taken against these scams.
	The campaign includes a telephone hotline set-up by the OFT to collect evidence which the Canadian authorities can use to prosecute the scam operators.

Employment Rights

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  what representations she has received from (a) overseas companies and (b) British companies regarding the rights of overseas workers to pursue unfair dismissal claims against their employers under the Employment Rights Act 1996;
	(2)  if she will make a statement on the recent Employment Appeal Tribunal ruling on the rights of overseas workers to pursue unfair dismissal claims under British employment law.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Department has received representations on behalf of one company with bases in Great Britain and overseas.
	The Employment Rights Act 1996 confers the right to complain of unfair dismissal. When territorial limits in the Act were abolished in 1999, the Government's intention was that employees working overseas would be able to claim unfair dismissal only if there was a proper connection with Great Britain. The employment Appeal Tribunal has confirmed that this is the test which the employment tribunals must apply.

European Molecular Biology Organisation

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what UK contributions at current prices have been made to the European Molecular Biology Organisation in (a) each of the last three years and (b) the current year; what contributions are proposed for the next three years; and what assessment she has made of the benefits the UK has gained from its contributions.

Patricia Hewitt: The UK government, through grant- in-aid to the Medical Research Council (MRC), contributes to the European Molecular Biology Conference (EMBC) which is the funding body for the European Molecular Biology Organisation (EMBO). The UK's contributions for the last three years and the current year are as follows:
	
		Euros
		
			 Year Actual contribution Contribution at 2003 prices 
		
		
			  
			  
			 2000 1,224,222 1,291,063 
			 2001 1,466,010 1,531,246 
			 2002 1,502,628 1,531,246 
			 2003 1,531,246 1,531,246 
		
	
	EMBC management is proposing an increase, over the next three years, of around 18 per cent. extra in 2004 rising to 44 per cent. extra in 2006 (about £700,000 per annum extra for the MRC). This is currently under discussion with EMBC and the UK contributions are not therefore known.
	It is a matter for the MRC to decide/agree what level of subscription they should pay to EMBC, taking into account other commitments and priorities. They undertake periodic reviews of the relevant EMBO schemes in preparation for EMBC budget discussions. The main benefits of participation are association with, and access to, prestigious and well-run fellowships schemes that have added value to the development of the European molecular biology.

Family Friendly Employment

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  what (a) training and (b) support is provided to managers to help them to institute family-friendly employment procedures;
	(2)  what information and support is available for employers regarding flexible working arrangements for employees;
	(3)  what plans the Government have to provide specialist guidance for small and medium enterprises, with particular reference to effective family-friendly working practices among small firms.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 8 December 2003
	An extensive package of support and guidance to help businesses implement and benefit from the laws for working parents has accompanied their introduction in April this year.
	This includes:
	Detailed guidance incorporating standard letter templates, summary flowcharts and 'how to' hints and tips.
	Interactive web-based guidance via the TIGER website (www.tiger.gov.uk)
	A case studies booklet "Flexible Working—The Business Case: 50 Success Stories" giving real examples of how businesses have introduced flexible working practices and how they have benefited. Half of those featured are small businesses.
	Specific information concerning the payment of statutory maternity, paternity and adoption pay for employers is available on the Inland Revenue website (www.inlandrevenue. gov.uk/employers/during.htm). In addition, information on the new laws was sent to all employers registered with the Inland Revenue (1.5—1.7 million copies) in August 2002.
	An awareness raising campaign incorporating national newspaper and online adverts aimed specifically at business. Further adverts are planned early next year in the national press and specialist business publications. The DTI also intends to mail in excess of 100,000 SMEs to further raise awareness and facilitate uptake and signpost them to further information.
	A series of six seminars for Business Link advisers on family-friendly policies run by the DTI in the spring of 2003. A Business Link factsheet on flexible working, tailored specifically for SMEs, is also available.
	A number of projects in partnership with external stakeholders. For example DTI supported a joint partnership project by the Federation of Small Business (FSB), British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) and the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. An awareness raising poster was circulated to 155,000 FSB members and 1,300 BCC branches, and a collection of case studies promoting the business case for flexible working in smaller businesses and giving examples of good practice was developed. (Getting it Right: Improving work-life balance in your business.)
	Free confidential advice to employers via the Acas helpline service (08457 474747), which is signposted on guidance and advertising.
	A programme of seminars, reaching almost 10,500 employers throughout the UK, run by Acas during the first quarter of 2003. They continue to run seminars on all issues relating to working parents as part of their core seminar programme.
	The Government's work-life balance campaign, which actively promotes family-friendly working practices across the workplace. Part of the non-legislative agenda for employment relations policy, the campaign focuses on researching and disseminating best practice to industry and business.
	All guidance material is accessible through the DTI website: www.dti.gov.uk/workingparents.

Family Friendly Employment

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps the Government are taking to promote the take-up of family friendly options at work by men.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 8 December 2003
	In April this year, the Government introduced new laws for working parents which cover fathers as well as mothers, including the right for fathers of children aged under six or disabled children under 18 to request flexible working and the right to two weeks paid paternity leave. These new rights together with the existing rights to parental leave and time off for dependants recognise that men increasingly want to play a greater role in the family and provides them with more choices for doing so.
	To facilitate take-up, the Government are running an on-going awareness raising campaign which includes national newspaper adverts targeted specifically at fathers. In addition posters have been circulated to CAB's GP's surgeries and libraries. We are working in partnership with stakeholders to raise awareness. We provided support to the charity, Fathers Direct for their pilot magazine aimed at new fathers—'Dad', launched in five different maternity units in April 2003 and distributed to all new fathers coming into contact with those units.
	The Government's Work-Life balance campaign also encourages employers to adopt best practice and provide family-friendly policies right across the work force.

Gas Bills

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the average household gas bill was in (a) England and (b) each English region in each financial year since 1996–97.

Stephen Timms: Information on average gas bills is regularly published by my Department in "Quarterly Energy Prices", available at www.dti.gov.uk/energy/inform/energy prices/index.shtml. The available information is as follows:
	
		Average annual domestic gas bills: England and Wales -- £
		
			  Standard credit Direct debit Prepayment 
		
		
			 1998 315 277 331 
			 1999 304 268 318 
			 2000 295 264 311 
			 2001 293 266 309 
			 2002 310 281 327 
			 2003(29) 315 287 333 
		
	
	(29) Provisional bills for 2003 cover consumption from Q4 2002 to Q1 2003 and are then grossed up to take account of Q2 2003 and Q3 2003.
	Notes:
	1. Figures for 1996 and 1997 are not available for England and Wales as the survey from which regional information is produced began in 1998.
	2. Bills relate to total bill received in the year e.g. covering consumption from Q4 of the previous year to Q3 of the named year.
	3. All bills are calculated using an annual consumption of 18,000 kWh. Figures are inclusive of VAT.
	
		Regional annual average domestic gas bills (England and Wales) -- £
		
			 Region 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 
		
		
			 Standard credit   
			 West Midlands 317 312 297 296 313 319 
			 South East 314 311 296 295 311 317 
			 Wales 313 311 291 291 306 314 
			 Eastern 318 311 296 291 309 316 
			 Northern 315 312 290 292 312 314 
			 North Western 314 311 295 294 309 316 
			 London 318 311 295 293 309 316 
			 North East 309 312 294 294 309 314 
			 East Midlands 316 312 292 290 309 309 
			 South West 312 312 299 290 312 319 
			 Southern 316 312 299 297 311 318 
			
			 Direct debit   
			 West Midlands 280 271 265 268 284 287 
			 South East 276 269 262 270 279 286 
			 Wales 278 266 265 249 283 291 
			 Eastern 280 266 264 265 280 286 
			 Northern 277 262 259 262 281 285 
			 North Western 277 267 267 268 283 285 
			 London 280 268 267 268 282 290 
			 North East 271 268 263 268 282 280 
			 East Midlands 278 266 261 264 281 285 
			 South West 275 268 265 261 281 288 
			 Southern 278 270 265 267 280 290 
			
			 Prepayment   
			 West Midlands 331 318 312 309 327 332 
			 South East 331 317 311 309 327 331 
			 Wales 330 325 311 310 329 352 
			 Eastern 331 317 311 308 326 331 
			 Northern 331 320 312 308 327 330 
			 North Western 331 318 311 309 326 331 
			 London 331 318 311 308 326 332 
			 North East 331 319 312 309 327 330 
			 East Midlands 331 316 312 309 326 330 
			 South West 330 318 312 309 327 333 
			 Southern 331 320 312 309 328 339 
		
	
	Note:
	Regions quoted are Gas Local Distribution Zones

Gross Domestic Product

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps she is taking to encourage manufacturing investment in the UK.

Patricia Hewitt: We published the Government's Manufacturing Strategy in May 2002—the first such strategy for 30 years—which we developed in partnership with industry, trade unions and other stakeholders, following a summit meeting on the challenges facing manufacturing held in December 2001.
	By maintaining a stable macroeconomic climate, together with measures such as reforming capital gains tax; making permanent enhanced capital allowances for small and medium sized firms; introducing the R&D tax credit for small and large firms; establishing Regional Venture Capital Funds; and extending the Small Firms Loan Guarantee, we are providing a climate conducive to investment for the long term in UK manufacturing.

Insolvency Service

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much revenue has been generated by the Insolvency Service in each year since 1997; and what the cost of administering the Insolvency Service has been (a) in each year since 1997 and (b) in each quarter of 2003.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Income and Expenditure of the Insolvency Service as reported in its Annual Report and Accounts since 1997 was:
	
		£000
		
			  Income from fees Investment income Expenditure 
		
		
			  
			  
			 1997–98 37,495 50,980 78,538 
			 1998–99 41,935 47,500 78,159 
			 1999–2000 45,341 43,400 80,512 
			 2000–01 51,270 45,100 80,314 
			 2001–02 52,260 39,400 81,840 
			 2002–03 58,674 34,800 90,332 
		
	
	Investment Income derived from the Insolvency Services Investment Account was surrendered to the Consolidated fund in accordance with Section 405 of The Insolvency Act 1986. 2003–04 is the last year of this funding regime. A new financial regime will be introduced on 1 April 2004 under the Enterprise Act 2002. Under the new financial regime investment income will be paid to creditors and The Insolvency service will seek to cover its case administration costs in full through a revised fees structure.
	In year financial monitoring and management control information is being produced monthly. These unaudited figures are not directly comparable with previous years as they include the costs and income of the Redundancy Payments Service together with estimates of non-cash and other charges that can only be known at year-end.

International Trade

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the impact of EU trade rules on developing countries.

Mike O'Brien: The overall impact of EU trade arrangements on developing countries is determined by a number of factors. The European Union offers preferential access to European markets to developing countries under the Cononou Agreement with African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries, the 'Everything But Arms' initiative for Least Developed Countries and the Generalised System of Preferences for Developing Countries. In addition to preferential arrangements, other instruments have a direct or indirect impact on developing countries, including anti-dumping measures, the common agricultural policy, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, and technical regulations. The impact of such factors differs from country to country, and there is little research on the aggregated net effect either on specific developing countries or on developing countries as a group.
	We continue to work closely with the European Commission and other member states to ensure the greatest benefit to developing countries of increased international trade through, for example, the WTO negotiations on the Doha Development Agenda, and Economic Partnership Agreement negotiations under the Cotonou Agreement.

Iraq

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many representatives from her Department are in Iraq; how many representatives of her US counterparts are in Iraq; and if she will make a statement on the effect on UK industry of the numbers.

Patricia Hewitt: There are five staff from my Department working in Iraq. Three are seconded to the Coalition Provisional Authority, including one responsible for trade development. Two are based in the British Office to promote trade relations with Iraq. A further staff member will go to Basra early in the New Year to promote trade. We have had positive feedback for my Department's work to support British firms in Iraq and we will continue to work with all interested British firms as well as with trade associations and other industry bodies. I am not in a position to comment on US Government staffing for Iraq.

Iraq

David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the level is of Iraq's debt to the UK which was accrued up to the point of the fall of Saddam Hussein; how much has been written off; what the nominal repayment due each year is; and what debt repayments were made in each year since 1997.

Mike O'Brien: ECGD has unrecovered claims of around £623 million arising from contracts with Iraq signed prior to the first Gulf conflict in 1991. This amount does not include interest, which it is estimated could bring the figure to some £1 billion. The only monies recovered by ECGD since 1997, all through the United Nations Compensation Commission were £2.68 million in 2001–02 and £320,000 in 2003–04.
	No debt has been written off but the Paris club group of creditors, including the UK, has announced that it intends to agree a comprehensive treatment of Iraq's debt problem by the end of 2004. In the meantime no payment of these arrears of debt will be sought.
	The Government have made it clear that it is seeking a fair and sustainable solution to the Iraqi debt problem. We believe that the debts should be dealt with under the new Paris Club 'Evian approach' which offers a long-term solution for countries with the most serious debt problems, including debt reduction where the need is clearly demonstrated.

ISO 9001:2000

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how she intends to encourage further implementation of ISO 9001:2000 following the employment of this standard by suppliers to the Ministry of Defence.

Patricia Hewitt: ISO 9001:2000 is the latest version of the quality management systems standard. It has been substantially revised to take account of modern management practice and the experience gained in industry over the past 25 years. It is already the most widely recognised management standard in the world and I am sure that the advantages and benefits of the new version will encourage its use still further. The DTI welcomes tenders from suppliers that have certification to this standard for a relevant scope but it is not a mandatory requirement and it is acceptable for a potential supplier to use other means to demonstrate how it has implemented its quality policy.

Motor Industry

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations her Department has received from the motor industry regarding possible membership of the euro.

Jacqui Smith: I have had discussions with many companies from the automotive sector, and had a range of representations on whether the UK should join the euro. The Government's policy on membership of the single currency is unchanged. The determining factor is the national economic interest, as assessed by the Government's five economic tests.

Pension Payments

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will initiate an inquiry into the reasons underlying the number of pensioners receiving their state pension by means of direct payment into a Post Office card account on 6 September.

Stephen Timms: No. The reasons for opting for a Post Office account are a matter for individual customers. The Department of Work and Pensions provides customers with all the information that they need to choose the type of account into which they want to have their pension or other benefit paid, including those with Post Office access. It is for the customer to take the final decision on which account is best for them in their own particular circumstances.

Posting of Workers Directive

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what guidelines she gives under the Posting of Workers Directive; whether collective agreements in construction will be enforced; and if she will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Guidance on the Posting of Workers Directive is available on the DTI website. Unlike most EU countries, the UK has a voluntarist system of collective employment relations. Collective agreements in construction are not universally applicable and accordingly are extended by law to cover employers and workers not party to them. These collective agreements are, therefore, not covered by the Directive, which we have fully implemented in the UK.

Posting of Workers Directive

Paddy Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she last met representatives from trade unions representing construction industry workers to discuss the Posting of Workers Directive, with particular reference to its implication for (a) collective agreements and (b) health and safety.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 8 December 2003
	I meet the TUC periodically to discuss various issues, including matters relating to the construction industry. I am meeting representatives from the Transport and General Workers Union on 10 December, and I will be discussing the Posting of Workers Directive among other issues.

Renewable Energy

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to change the targets for the purchase of renewable energy by UK companies.

Stephen Timms: The Government have set a target that, by 2010, 10 per cent. of sales from licensed electricity suppliers should come from renewable sourced electricity. There are no plans to change this target.
	The Renewables Obligation, enforced under the Renewables Obligation Order 2002 in England and Wales, and the Renewables Obligation (Scotland) Order 2002, is the main mechanism which the Government have introduced to help achieve the growth necessary to reach this target. The Obligation will remain in place until 2027, and licensed electricity suppliers are required to supply a specified and growing proportion of their sales from renewable sourced electricity each year. The level of the Obligation was 3 per cent. in its first year of operation, and now stands at 4.3 per cent. and is set to rise to 10.4 per cent. in the 2010–11 period.
	The Government have recently announced their intention to bring forward proposals to raise the levels of the Obligation for the years beyond 2010–11, by further annual increases, reaching 15.4 per cent. in the 2015–16 period. This is a further sign of our commitment to developing the renewables industry.

Renewable Energy

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proportion of companies have met their targets for the purchase of renewable energy in the last 12 months.

Stephen Timms: Under the terms of the Renewables Obligation Order (2002), and the Renewables Obligation (Scotland) Order 2002, licensed electricity suppliers in Great Britain are required to supply specific proportions of their electricity sales from renewable sourced electricity—with the aim of reaching the target of 10.4 per cent. in the period 2010–11.
	For the year to April 2003, the level of the Obligation was set at 3 per cent. (The current level is 4.3 per cent.). Suppliers demonstrate their compliance with the Obligation through presenting Renewables Obligation Certificates (ROCs) to Ofgem. If they do not present ROCs in this way, they must buy out all or part of their obligation target. Payments made to this buyout fund are then subsequently recycled to those suppliers who have demonstrated their compliance through the ROC mechanism.
	The proportions of suppliers meeting their obligations through (1) complete fulfilment and (2) partial fulfilment are shown in the tables.
	
		Suppliers and the 3 per cent. Renewables Target in England and Wales (Renewables Obligation)
		
			  Number Percentage 
		
		
			 Suppliers reaching 3 per cent. target 12 31 
			 Suppliers partially meeting 3 per cent. target 11 29 
			 Suppliers failing to meet any of 3 per cent. target 14 40 
		
	
	
		Suppliers and the 3 per cent. Renewables Target in Scotland (Renewables Obligation Scotland)
		
			  Number Percentage 
		
		
			 Suppliers reaching 3 per cent. target 15 54 
			 Suppliers partially meeting 3 per cent. target 4 14 
			 Suppliers failing to meet any of 3 per cent. target 9 32 
		
	
	Taking all licensed electricity suppliers in Great Britain together, the proportion of the Renewables Obligation met by the actual supply of renewables in 2002–03 was 58.9 per cent.

Renewable Energy

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate she has made of the cost to UK companies of meeting current targets for the purchase of renewable energy.

Stephen Timms: The costs of the Renewables Obligation, the Government's main policy instrument for the achievement of our 10 per cent. renewable energy target for 2010, are expected to be passed on by electricity supply companies to electricity consumers across the industrial, commercial and domestic sectors. The Government estimates that, by 2010–11, the impact of the Renewables Obligation on electricity prices will be the equivalent of an average increase of 4.9 per cent. in real terms over actual 1999 prices.

Standardisation

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what measures she is taking to push standardisation as part of an export and growth drive.

Patricia Hewitt: The National Standardisation Strategic Framework (NSSF) sets out to promote standardisation to the benefit of business, government and society. Within this Framework, the British Standards Institution (BSI) is aligning its activity in international standards making (ISO standards) to changing British business interests. An objective stated in the NSSF is to "Optimise the use of standardisation as an international gateway to achieve more open markets, reduce technical barriers to trade, UK trading advantage, technology transfer and international development objectives". We are currently determining how best to pursue this objective. It may be that promotion of UK or European standards will form part of the Government's support for certain sectors of UK business in key export markets.

Timber

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry by what means the policy for purchasing timber and timber products of (a) the Department, (b) Companies House, (c) the Employment Tribunals Service, (d) the Insolvency Service, (e) the National Weights and Measures Laboratory, (f) the Patent Office, (g) the Radiocommunications Agency and (h) the Small Business Service ensures that they are obtained from legal and sustainable sources.

Patricia Hewitt: The Department's London headquarters estate (including SBS) operates an environmental management system certified to ISO14001. This environmental management system (EMS) sets out the policy and procedure to be followed in the procurement of timber products. The EMS requires timber to be FSC or equivalent certification. All other buildings within the DTI HQ estate but outside of London are subject to the same procurement criteria.
	Letter from David Smith to Mr. Barry Gardiner, dated 9 December 2003
	The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has asked me to reply on behalf of the Radiocommunications Agency to your Parliamentary Question detailing by what means the policy for purchasing timber and timber products ensures that they are obtained from legal and sustainable sources.
	I can confirm that, where the Agency has had the need to procure timber products, it has followed the Department's strict guidelines on purchasing from qualified and certified organisations. All of the Agency's timber products are purchased from suppliers who have satisfied the Department's and the OGC's strict monitoring and inspections regime on producing goods from legal and sustainable sources.
	Letter from Alison Brimelow to Mr. Barry Gardiner, dated 9 December 2003
	I am replying to this parliamentary question, tabled on 28 November 2003, regarding the policy of purchasing timber and timber products.
	The Patent Office does not purchase timber direct from any suppliers. However, furniture is purchased through the Office of Government Commerce's (OGC) Buying Solutions Framework Agreement where it is a requirement that preferred suppliers hold the relevant Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) certification. Where we engage the use of contractors for minor building work requirements, they must provide evidence that timber products are sourced from managed and sustainable sources.
	In addition, the Patent Office is presently working towards an environmental management system certified to EN ISO 14001.
	Letter from Dr. J. W. Llewellyn to Mr. Barry Gardiner, dated 9 December 2003
	The Secretary for Trade and Industry has asked me to reply on behalf of the National Weights and Measures Laboratory (NWML) to your question on what means the policy for purchasing timber and timber products of the National Weights and Measures Laboratory ensures that they are obtained from legal and sustainable sources.
	The National Weights and Measures Laboratory (NWML) is part of the DTI HQ estate and thus is within the scope of the Department's environmental management system, which is certified to ISO 14001. This management system sets out the policy and procedure for procurement of timber products and requires FSC or equivalent certification. Furniture for NWML is purchased from Kinnarps who are an approved OGC supplier. Stationery is purchased mainly from Guilbert (UK) who hold the DTI stationery contract. Where possible products are obtained from their 'environmental benefit' range.
	Letter from Desmond Flynn to Mr. Barry Gardiner, dated 9 December 2003
	I refer to your question tabled on 28 November 2003 to Patricia Hewitt regarding the use of timber and timber products. I have been asked to reply to you in relation to The Insolvency Service.
	Although we are not major consumers of timber products The Service's policy is always to specify to contractors and suppliers that these materials are provided from sustainable sources. We also require prospective suppliers to confirm this with their bids for our work. Timber is mainly used in office refurbishment projects whereas our office furniture these days is invariably made from melamine-faced chipbord (MFC), rather than virgin timber.
	Letter from Roger Heathcote to Mr. Barry Gardiner, dated 9 December 2003
	You asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry by what means the Department's policy for purchasing timber and timber products ensures they are obtained from legal and sustainable sources. I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Employment Tribunals Service (ETS), which is an Agency of the DTI.
	All furniture supplies are purchased through contracts let by the Office of Government Commerce in respect of which the suppliers have already established proof of conforming with the necessary legal and sustainable requirement in respect of timber. The same requirement is built into our standard terms of contract for works services.
	Letter from Claire Clancy to Mr. Barry Gardiner, dated 9 December 2003
	I am responding to your recent Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on behalf of Companies House, which is an Executive Agency of the DTI.
	Companies House operates an environmental management system certified to ISO14001. This sets out the policy and procedure to be followed in the procurement of timber products. Any purchases are therefore from Forestry Stewardship Council accredited sources.

US-UK Energy Dialogue

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress has been made in the US-UK Energy Dialogue to enhance co-ordination and co-operation on energy issues between Britain and the United States of America; on what dates since 1 January she has held meetings with the United States Commerce Secretary at which the US-UK Energy Dialogue was discussed; and where each of these meetings was held.

Stephen Timms: Officials from US Departments of Energy, Commerce and State meet regularly with officials in the Department of Trade and Industry and FCO to discuss shared interests in the field of energy. Topics include security and diversity of international energy supplies, the role of energy in development, how to promote clean energy technologies to address security of supply and environmental challenges, and national energy policy. We have had detailed discussions on science and technology matters and used the existing Memorandum of Understanding to develop joint activities on the contribution of basic science to meeting energy challenges, cleaner fossil fuels, the development of a hydrogen economy and carbon capture and storage.
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has not had any meeting with Department of Commerce Secretary Don Evans to discuss energy issues this year.